gift

¹

[gift]

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

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

[gift]

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.

gift

¹

/ 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

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

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• giftless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gift¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of gift¹

Old English gift payment for a wife, dowry; related to Old Norse gipt, Old High German gift, Gothic fragifts endowment, engagement; see _give

Idioms and Phrases

• look a gift horse in the mouth

Synonym Study

See present ².

Example Sentences

The president also has the power to confound and bend political and social reality to his will, a dubious gift that has short-circuited systems of political accountability.

From Salon

"Jay had a gift for gentle clarity, making his forecasts for sometimes complex weather systems feel accessible and engaging," his brother, Matthew, said in a tribute.

From BBC

“Couple uses wedding gifts to clear cafeteria balances.”

From Salon

He added that the company expects strong sales for Christmas gifts such as wearable tech and Jellycat soft toys.

From BBC

It is legal for an unmarried person to gift or otherwise transfer wealth to their partner for them to buy a property in their own name and doing so does not incur stamp duty.

From BBC

Related Words

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