gift

¹ American  

[gift] / gɪft /

noun

1. something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present.

   Synonyms:

   dowry, inheritance, legacy, bequest, subsidy, allowance, premium, tip, gratuity, alms, largesse, boon, bounty, endowment, benefaction, offering, contribution, donation

2. the act of giving.

3. something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned.

   Those extra points he got in the game were a total gift.

4. a special ability or capacity; natural endowment; talent.

   the gift of saying the right thing at the right time.

   Synonyms:

   knack, turn, genius, forte, bent, capability, aptitude, faculty

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verb (used with object)

1. to present with as a gift; bestow gifts upon; endow with.

2. to present (someone) with a gift.

   just the thing to gift the newlyweds.

GIFT ² American  

[gift] / gɪft /

noun

1. gamete intrafallopian transfer: a laparoscopic process in which eggs are retrieved from an ovary by aspiration and inserted, along with sperm, into the fallopian tube of another woman.

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gift ¹ British  

/ ɡɪft /

noun

1. something given; a present

2. a special aptitude, ability, or power; talent

3. the power or right to give or bestow (esp in the phrases in the gift of, in ( someone's ) gift )

4. the act or process of giving

5. (usually negative) to find fault with a free gift or chance benefit

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verb

1. to present (something) as a gift to (a person)

2. (often foll by with) to present (someone) with a gift

3. rare to endow with; bestow

GIFT ² British  

/ ɡɪft /

acronym

1. gamete intrafallopian transfer: a technique, similar to in vitro fertilization, that enables some women who are unable to conceive to bear children. Egg cells are removed from the woman's ovary, mixed with sperm, and introduced into one of her Fallopian tubes

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gift Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing gift

• look a gift horse in the mouth

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Related Words

See present ².

Other Word Forms

• giftless adjective

Etymology

Origin of gift

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, from Old Norse gift; cognate with Old English gift ( Middle English yift ) “marriage gift”; akin to give

Example Sentences

In fact, nearly 40% of recent homebuyers under the age 30 used either a cash gift from a family member or an inheritance for their down payment, according to a survey commissioned by Redfin.

From MarketWatch

Meanwhile, influencers, who rapidly cycle through clothes, receive so many brand-name gifts that they don’t have room to keep it all.

From Los Angeles Times

“Roger was an extraordinarily gifted artist and filmmaker, a true pillar of the Disney Animation renaissance,” Bossert wrote Sunday on Facebook.

From Los Angeles Times

Guthrie ended her “Today” appearance expressing gratitude for her “Today” family and showing off gift mugs from her supporters.

From Los Angeles Times

Yama Ahmadi, who sells flowers and gift boxes, said his employee was "very scared" by the blast.

From Barron's

Related Words

• allowance
• award
• benefit
• bonus
• contribution
• donation
• endowment
• favor
• giveaway
• grant
• legacy
• offering
• premium
• present
• relief
• reward
• souvenir
• subsidy
• tip
• tribute