gift
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: gĭft
ipa: /ɡɪft/
rhymes: -ɪft
Forms: form: gifts
form: yift
Etymology: From Middle English gift (also yift, yifte, ȝift, ȝeft), partly from Old English ġift (“giving, consideration, dowry, wedding”) and Old Norse gipt (“gift, present, wedding”); both from Proto-Germanic *giftiz (“gift”). Equivalent to give + -t (etymologically yive + -t).
Cognate with West Frisian jefte (“gift”), Saterland Frisian Gift (“gift”), German Low German Gift (“poison”), Dutch gift (“gift”) and its doublet gif (“poison”), German Gift (“poison”), Danish gift (“gift (obsolete); poison, venom”), Swedish gift (“gift, poison, venom”), Icelandic gift (“gift”). Doublet of yift. Distantly related to English habit, from Latin habitus.
Senses: examples: text: She gave him a cell phone as a birthday gift.
text: “I thank you for the gift, Dr. Yueh,” Paul said, speaking formally. “It will be our secret. If there is a gift or favor you wish from me, please do not hesitate to ask.”
"I . . . need for nothing," Yueh said.
ref: 1965, Frank Herbert, Dune (Science Fiction), New York: Ace Books, →OCLC, page 48:
text: But now I know, but now I really know / Of only one thing I am truly very sure / Love is a gift, love is a gift
ref: 1974, “But Now I Know”, Jean-Loup Dabadie (lyrics)performed by Jean Gabin:
text: She bought the model as a surprise gift for a friend who is a lifelong HST fan and railwayman, and who will soon be celebrating a milestone birthday.
ref: 2021 October 20, “Stop & Examine”, in RAIL, number 942, page 71:
glosses: Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
examples: text: She had a gift for playing the flute.
text: “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons! Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”
ref: 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
glosses: A talent or natural ability.
glosses: Something gained incidentally, without effort.
examples: text: The office is in the gift of the President.
glosses: The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.
Synonyms: sense: something freely given by another
word: gift For beneficial actions
word: favor
sense: something god-given
word: ability
sense: something god-given
word: aptitude
sense: something god-given
word: knack
sense: something god-given
word: talent
sense: something god-given
word: strength
word: benefaction
word: boon
word: concession
word: donative
word: fairing
word: gift
word: grant
word: present
word: tithing
Hypernyms: word: artifact
word: money
word: object
Hyponyms: word: bonus
word: favor
word: freebie
word: lagniappe
word: largess
word: offering
word: oblation
word: pilon
word: baksheesh
word: cumshaw
word: dash
word: douceur
word: grace
word: gratuity
word: sweetener
word: tip
word: vail
word: alms
word: contribution
word: dole
word: donation
word: handout
word: sportula
word: sportule
word: gift card
word: gift certificate
word: gift voucher
Derived terms: bride gift
countergift
don't look a gift horse in the mouth
ecogift
e-gift certificate
engift
fore-gift
foregift
gag gift
giftbag
gift bag
gift basket
giftbook
giftbox
gift card
giftcard
gift certificate
gift economy
giftfic
gift from above
gift from heaven
gift from the goddesses
gift from the gods
gift from the Gods
gift from the heavens
giftful
gift giver
gift-giving
gift hall
gift horse
giftless
giftlet
giftling
Giftmas
gift matching
gift of gab
gift of the gab
gift of tongues
giftpack
gift receipt
gift registry
gift rope
giftset
gift set
gift shop
gift suite
gift tax
gift that keeps on giving
gift token
gift voucher
giftware
gift-wrap
giftwrap
gift wrap
gift-wrapping
gifty
god-bairn gift
God's gift
God's gift to men
God's gift to women
Greek gift
handgift
Indian gift
megagift
morning-gift
morning gift
never look a gift horse in the mouth
parting gift
regift
return gift
Related terms: lagniappe