Tingo
verb / noun /ˈtɪŋɡəʊ/ — To borrow things from a friend until they have nothing left.
Definition
The act of gradually removing items from a friend's possession by borrowing them, one by one, until the original owner has been quietly and comprehensively depleted.
Beyond the definition
It's polite. It's social. And it's an act of slow-motion appropriation that somehow goes unnoticed until the house is empty. Tingo is a word that makes you suspect you might have done this, or had it done to you.
Origin & history
From Pascuense (the Rapa Nui language of Easter Island). Documented in Adam Jacot de Boinod's 'The Meaning of Tingo' — a celebrated study of untranslatable words.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She'd been tingoed by her best friend — one book at a time over three years.
He denied the tingo, but she had a list.
There's a fine line between borrowing and tingo — only the lender knows which side you're on.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Tingo” when the meaning fits your context: The act of gradually removing items from a friend's possession by borrowing them, one by one, until the original owner has been quietly and comprehensively depleted.
Synonyms
borrowing, gradual appropriation, friendly pilfering
Antonyms
returning, generosity
Related words
Questions about this word
What does "Tingo" mean?
Tingo is verb / noun meaning: To borrow things from a friend until they have nothing left.. The act of gradually removing items from a friend's possession by borrowing them, one by one, until the original owner has been quietly and comprehensively depleted.
Where does the word "Tingo" come from?
From Pascuense (the Rapa Nui language of Easter Island). Documented in Adam Jacot de Boinod's 'The Meaning of Tingo' — a celebrated study of untranslatable words.