giro
/ˈdʒʌɪrəʊ
/noun (plural giros) [mass noun]
1A system of electronic credit transfer used in Europe and Japan, involving banks, post offices, and public utilities: bank deposits transferred by means of giro...
- If you pay on a normal credit bill and write a cheque or pay by giro, you can save up to a maximum of 13 per cent if you change to direct debit.
- The software must also take account of different payment methods, allowing people to be paid by cheque, cash or giro.
1.1 [count noun] British A cheque or payment by giro, especially a social security payment: any chance of a pound till the giro comes?...
- Olive admitted asking his brother to cash it for him, said Miss Abel, and he knew he was not entitled to cash both giros and he should have returned the original.
- If their giros are one day late they can't afford to buy nappies for their kids.
- She did finally get sent a giro for the first two weeks of her pension, last week.
Origin
Late 19th century: via German from Italian, 'circulation (of money)'.