giro
1
8.8
A cheque from the government that pays money to people without work or on benefits
- noun
- /ˈdʒaɪəʊ/
- Archaic
:
giro
Synonyms
8.4
A government paper payment that unemployed people can cash at a bank or post office
has the same meaning and refers to government welfare payments
Compounds
giro cheque
- Archaic
8.4
A government paper payment that unemployed people can cash at a bank or post office
Surface Forms
Etymology
Giro comes from the Italian word giro, which means 'turn' or 'circle'. The idea is of money that 'turns' through the post office or bank to reach someone, so a giro became the name for a government cheque people cash to get their benefits.