thrift

n. the habit of being careful with money and avoiding waste.

n. the quality of using money and other resources carefully and not wastefully. Uncountable in this sense.

“Through hard work and thrift, the family managed to save enough for a house.”

“The government's new economic policy encourages personal thrift as a means of reducing household debt across the nation.”

Formal

n. a type of bank that focuses on savings and home loans.

n. a financial institution, such as a savings and loan association, that primarily accepts consumer deposits and provides home mortgages.

“He kept his college savings in a local thrift rather than a large national bank.”

“The collapse of several regional thrifts in the late 1980s led to significant changes in federal banking regulations.”

American English · Technical

n. a small plant with pink or white flowers that grows near the sea.

n. any of various plants of the genus Armeria, especially the sea pink, typically found in coastal or mountainous areas.

“Bright pink thrift grew in the cracks of the rocks along the cliff.”

“The botanist noted that the thrift was thriving despite the harsh, salty winds of the Atlantic coast.”

Technical

v. to shop at stores that sell used clothes and items for a low price.

v. to shop for or purchase items at a thrift store or second-hand shop. Often used intransitively.

“We spent the whole Saturday afternoon thrifting for vintage jackets downtown.”

“She managed to thrift a designer coat for a fraction of its original retail price at the local charity shop.”

Informal