English Explanatory Dictionary

gift

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
  2. A talent or natural ability.
  3. Something gained incidentally, without effort.
  4. The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.
verb
  1. To give as a gift or donation.
  2. To give away, to concede easily.
noun
  1. Acronym of gamete intrafallopian transfer.

Pronunciation

gĭft /ɡɪft/ en-us-gift.ogg LL-Q1860 (eng)-Back ache-gift.wav

Word forms

gift gifts yift gifting gifted

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.

Synonyms

favor benefaction boon concession donative fairing gift grant present tithing gift For beneficial actions ability aptitude knack talent strength contribute donate give

Related words

lagniappe begift begive giftability giftable giftee gifter give out give out stink outgive regift re-gift

Derived words

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 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
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on G Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary