​THRIFT, economy in personal or domestic expenditure, the habit and practice of saving, careful or frugal management in money matters. The word, which is borrowed from Scandinavian languages, meant the condition of one who thrives or prospers (M. Eng. thriven, Icel. þrifa, to clutch, seize, Norw. triva, seize). There are several species of plants, such as the sea-pink, Armeria maritima, or March rosemary (Stalice) which from their vigorous growth are often termed "thrift."