Indian giving

noun

The act of demanding the return of a gifted item or taking back something that was previously given, or expecting something in return.

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Meanings

nounIndian giving (uncountable)
  1. derogatoryinformaloffensiveuncountableThe act of demanding the return of a gifted item or taking back something that was previously given, or expecting something in return.

Origin

From Meriwether Lewis' and William Clarke's misunderstanding of how Native Americans traded: a tribe that traded beads for a dog might later trade the dog back to its original owner, expecting something (such as the beads) in return, and taking it if it was not offered.

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Cite this entry
APA

Indian giving. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Indian%20giving

MLA

“Indian giving.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Indian%20giving. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Indian giving,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Indian%20giving.

Source: Indian giving on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.