skinflint

English

Etymology

From the phrase skin a flint (“go to extreme lengths for the sake of gain or economy”), from the brittleness and hardness of flint which makes it almost impossible to remove just its skin without shattering it.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈskɪnflɪnt/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪnt

Noun

skinflint (plural skinflints)

1. One who is excessively stingy or cautious with money; a tightwad; a miser.
   • 1842, Gogol, Dead Souls, chapter 4

     You know, he is quite a different sort from the Public Prosecutor and our other provincial skinflints--fellows who shiver in their shoes before they will spend a single kopeck.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:miser

Translations

miser — see miser