thank offering

8.7

A gift people give to show they are grateful, often in a religious ceremony

noun
/θæŋk ˈɔfərɪŋ/

: ofrenda de agradecimiento

At the temple, the elders encouraged the villagers to bring a thank offering to express their thanks.

Examples

Now she watched in grim horror as one ox after another was killed as a thank offering.

Fiction book (1998)
During the ceremony, we presented a thank offering to show our gratitude for the harvest.
In appreciation for their kindness, she decided to create a thank offering for the community.

Synonyms

token of appreciation

vsthank offering

1 3.1

A small gift or simple act to show thanks

is given in religious ceremonies as a formal sign of thanks for blessings received

How Ceremonial

sacrifice

NSFW

147 5.8

thank offering

8.7

offering

54 3.7

Surface Forms

thank offering singular

thank offerings plural

Morphology

thank + offer

The meaning 'an offering made to express gratitude' is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'thank' (to express gratitude) with 'offering' (something given), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the sense. This noun-compound pattern is common in English and has clear cross-linguistic parallels (e.g., 'ofrenda de agradecimiento'), supporting full transparency.

Etymology

Thank offering comes from old religious practice when people brought food or small gifts to a temple after a good harvest or a safe journey. The idea was to thank a god by giving an offering, so the phrase means a gift given to show 'thanks'.