discounts

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of discount.

   Seasonal discounts brought hundreds of shoppers to the mall.

   The airline advertised deep discounts on early bookings.

   Note

   One spelling does two jobs, because the noun plural and the present-tense verb look identical. The noun follows an article, number or adjective, as in deep discounts or seasonal discounts. The verb follows its subject. In banking, discounts can also be the deductions taken for interest when a bill or note is bought before it falls due, so on a financial page the word may mean that rather than a sale.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of discount.

   The committee routinely discounts feedback that arrives after the deadline.

   A skeptical reviewer discounts claims that lack supporting evidence.

   Note

   The object usually tells you which meaning is at work. A shop discounts goods, so it sells them for less. A reviewer discounts claims and treats them as unimportant. A lender discounts a bill by advancing the money minus the interest. When the object is an event, the verb means allowing for it beforehand. With claims, evidence or feedback as the object, read it as dismissal rather than price.

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