GIFT

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does gift mean? 

• GIFT (noun)
  The noun GIFT has 3 senses:

1. something acquired without compensation

2. natural abilities or qualities

3. the act of giving

  Familiarity information: GIFT used as a noun is uncommon.

• GIFT (verb)
  The verb GIFT has 2 senses:

1. give qualities or abilities to

2. give as a present; make a gift of

  Familiarity information: GIFT used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GIFT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Something acquired without compensation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting possession and transfer of possession

Hypernyms ("gift" is a kind of...):

acquisition (something acquired)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gift"):

enrichment (a gift that significantly increases the recipient's wealth)

gift horse (a gift (usually of inferior quality) that should be accepted uncritically)

giveaway (a gift of public land or resources for the private gain of a limited group)

freebee; freebie (something that is free (usually provided as part of a promotional scheme))

bestowal; bestowment (a gift that is bestowed or conferred)

lagniappe (a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase))

contribution; donation (a voluntary gift (as of money or service or ideas) made to some worthwhile cause)

present (something presented as a gift)

aid; assistance; economic aid; economic assistance; financial aid; financial assistance (gift of money or other material help to support a person or cause)

largess; largesse (a gift or money given (as for service or out of benevolence); usually given ostentatiously)

bride price (money or property given (in some societies) by the bridegroom to the family of his bride)

dower; dowery; dowry; portion (money or property brought by a woman to her husband at marriage)

free lunch (something acquired without effort or payment or obligation)

devise ((law) a gift of real property by will)

bequest; legacy ((law) a gift of personal property by will)

award; prize (something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery)

Derivation:

gift (give as a present; make a gift of)

gift (give qualities or abilities to)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Natural abilities or qualities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

endowment; gift; natural endowment; talent

Hypernyms ("gift" is a kind of...):

natural ability (ability that is inherited)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gift"):

raw talent (powerfully impressive talent)

flair; genius (a natural talent)

bent; hang; knack (a special way of doing something)

Derivation:

gift (give qualities or abilities to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The act of giving

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

gift; giving

Hypernyms ("gift" is a kind of...):

share-out; sharing (a distribution in shares)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gift"):

bestowal; bestowment; conferment; conferral (the act of conferring an honor or presenting a gift)

accordance; accordance of rights (the act of granting rights)

endowment (the act of endowing with a permanent source of income)

charity (an activity or gift that benefits the public at large)

contribution; donation (act of giving in common with others for a common purpose especially to a charity)

alms-giving; almsgiving (making voluntary contributions to aid the poor)

oblation; offering (the act of contributing to the funds of a church or charity)

Derivation:

gift (give as a present; make a gift of)

• GIFT (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they gift    ... he / she / it gifts   
Past simple: gifted   
Past participle: gifted   
-ing form: gifting   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give qualities or abilities to

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

empower; endow; endue; gift; indue; invest

Hypernyms (to "gift" is one way to...):

enable (render capable or able for some task)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gift"):

cover (invest with a large or excessive amount of something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody with something

Derivation:

gift (natural abilities or qualities)

gift (something acquired without compensation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give as a present; make a gift of

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

gift; give; present

Context example:

What will you give her for her birthday?

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "gift"):

give away (make a gift of)

render; submit (make over as a return)

tender (offer or present for acceptance)

donate (give to a charity or good cause)

treat (provide with a gift or entertainment)

deed over; grant (transfer by deed)

cede; deliver; give up; surrender (relinquish possession or control over)

bequeath; leave; will (leave or give by will after one's death)

bung; fee; tip (give a tip or gratuity to in return for a service, beyond the compensation agreed on)

raffle; raffle off (dispose of in a lottery)

distribute; give out; hand out; pass out (give to several people)

dower; endow (furnish with an endowment)

regift (give a present that one has received to someone else)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

gift (the act of giving)

gift (something acquired without compensation)

 Context examples 

Liberty, however, had been a useless gift to me, had I not, as I awakened to reason, at the same time awakened to revenge.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The fact was, he could not refuse the request, on account of the dwarf’s third gift.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

But Aunt March had not this gift, and she worried Amy very much with her rules and orders, her prim ways, and long, prosy talks.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

His was the gift of sympathy, understanding; and beneath his alarmed exterior that sympathetic process went on.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

What is new is that Jupiter, the giver of gifts and luck, will be in near-constant communication with Neptune almost all year, and this month they will align perfectly on February 20.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

“Why, yes,” returned the captain, scratching his head; “and making a large allowance, sir, for all the gifts of Providence, I should say we were pretty close hauled.”

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Think of the priceless gift of such a heart as yours, of such a love as yours!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The same brain areas were active when participants made decisions about whether to accept a gift from a robot by signalling the evaluations that guided participants’ choices.

(Scientists identify possible source of the ‘Uncanny Valley’ in the brain, University of Cambridge)

If this new phase was spontaneous, or in any way due to her unconscious influence, she must have some rare gift or power.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Were he but gifted with imagination he might rise to great heights in his profession.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)