tipper

A "tipper" is usually a person who leaves extra money after getting a service, such as at a restaurant, in a taxi, or at a hotel. If you add a little more to the bill to thank someone for good service, you are the tipper. People often talk about a "good tipper" or a "poor tipper" when they mean someone who gives more or less than expected. In British English, a "tipper" can also mean a truck that lifts its bed to unload sand, gravel, dirt, or other loose material.

A "tipper" most often means a person who gives a tip, or gratuity, after receiving a service. You will hear it in everyday situations involving restaurants, bars, taxis, hotels, food delivery, or personal care services. When people describe someone as a good tipper, they usually mean that the person regularly leaves a fair or generous amount to thank workers for their service. In that sense, the word is tied to custom, manners, and local expectations as much as to money.

Tipping customs vary a lot from place to place. In the United States, leaving a tip is widely expected in many service settings, while in some other countries it may be less common, already included in the bill, or even unwelcome. You may also hear stories that the word "tip" came from the phrase "To Insure Promptness," but that explanation is usually treated as a folk story rather than a real origin.

The word also has a second common meaning in British English. A "tipper," often called a "tipper lorry," is a truck with a bed that tilts so it can unload its contents. In American English, this is usually called a dump truck. So the word can point either to a customer leaving extra money for service or to a working vehicle that tips out sand, stone, soil, or other material. The exact meaning is usually clear from the situation.