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 /

acronym for

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

gift

²

/ 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. look a gift-horse in the mouth
   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

Derived Forms

• ˈgiftless, adjective

Other Words From

• giftless 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

In addition to the idiom beginning with gift , also see look a gift horse in the mouth .

Synonym Study

See present ².

Example Sentences

Los Angeles County got a gift from voters: They passed Measure A, a half-cent-per-dollar sales tax that will provide a billion dollars a year for services and housing for homeless people.

From Los Angeles Times

The British Museum is to receive what is believed to be the highest-value gift ever received by a UK museum with the acquisition of £1bn worth of Chinese ceramics.

From BBC

"The greatest gift you can give a professional astronaut is to let them stay longer."

From BBC

The advert, released on Thursday, is a whimsical journey through one woman's memories as she tries to find the perfect Christmas gift for her sister.

From BBC

The British Museum is to be given Chinese ceramics worth £1bn in what is believed to be the highest-value gift received by a UK museum.

From BBC

Related Words

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