coupon
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a piece of paper or a digital code that gives you a lower price on a product.
n.a voucher or digital token issued by a manufacturer or retailer that entitles the holder to a discount on a specific purchase.
Simple“I cut a coupon out of the newspaper to get a dollar off my favorite cereal.”
In context“The marketing department distributed digital coupons via social media to incentivize first-time customers to complete their online orders.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a part of a ticket that shows you have the right to a seat or a service.
n.a detachable part of a ticket or document that serves as proof of entitlement to a specific service, seat, or travel route.
Simple“The travel agent gave us a coupon for a free dinner at the hotel.”
In context“The rail pass included several coupons for regional bus transfers, which had to be validated by the driver upon boarding.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.the interest payment made on a bond.
n.the annual interest rate paid on a bond, expressed as a percentage of the face value.
Simple“The bond pays a five percent coupon every six months.”
In context“Investors were attracted to the high-yield corporate bonds despite the risks, primarily due to the attractive semi-annual coupon payments.”
UsageOften used as an attributive noun in 'coupon rate'.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a small piece of material used for testing.
n.a small specimen of a material, such as metal, used for laboratory testing to determine the properties or corrosion rate of the bulk material.
Simple“The engineer placed a steel coupon in the saltwater to test for rust.”
In context“Corrosion coupons were extracted from the pipeline after six months to evaluate the effectiveness of the new chemical inhibitors.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to spend a lot of time looking for and using discount vouchers.
v.to engage in the systematic collection and redemption of coupons to maximize savings.
Simple“She managed to save fifty dollars this week because she started couponing.”
In context“The rise of extreme couponing has led many retailers to tighten their policies regarding the stacking of multiple discounts.”
From French coupon, from couper (“to cut”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.