Adjacent Words

Gift definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

GIFT, n. [from give.] A present; any thing given or bestowed; any thing, the property of which is voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation; a donation. It is applicable to any thing movable or immovable.
1. The act of giving or conferring.
2. The right or power of giving or bestowing. The prince has the gift of many lucrative offices.
3. An offering or oblation.
If thou bring thy gift to the altar. Matthew 5.
4. A reward.
Let thy gifts be to thyself. Daniel 5.
5. A bribe; any thing given to corrupt the judgment.
Neither take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise. Deutoronomy 16.
6. Power; faculty; some quality or endowment conferred by the author of our nature; as the gift of wit; the gift of ridicule.
GIFT, v.t. To endow with any power or faculty.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something acquired without compensation
2: natural abilities or qualities [syn: endowment, gift, talent, natural endowment]
3: the act of giving [syn: giving, gift] v
1: give qualities or abilities to [syn: endow, indue, gift, empower, invest, endue]
2: give as a present; make a gift of; "What will you give her for her birthday?" [syn: give, gift, present]

Merriam Webster's

abbreviation gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Old Norse, something given, talent; akin to Old English giefan to give Date: 12th century 1. a notable capacity, talent, or endowment 2. something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation 3. the act, right, or power of giving Synonyms: gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something. gift often implies special favor by God or nature <the gift of singing beautifully>. faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function <a faculty for remembering names>. aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it <a mechanical aptitude>. bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability <a family with an artistic bent>. talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed <has enough talent to succeed>. genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability <has no great genius for poetry>. knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance <the knack of getting along>. II. transitive verb Date: circa 1550 1. to endow with some power, quality, or attribute 2. present <generously gifted us with a copy — Saturday Review> • giftee noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a thing given; a present. 2 a natural ability or talent. 3 the power to give (in his gift). 4 the act or an instance of giving. 5 colloq. an easy task. --v.tr. 1 endow with gifts. 2 a (foll. by with) give to as a gift. b bestow as a gift. Phrases and idioms: gift of tongues see TONGUE. gift token (or voucher) a voucher used as a gift and exchangeable for goods. gift-wrap (-wrapped, -wrapping) wrap attractively as a gift. look a gift-horse in the mouth (usu. neg.) find fault with what has been given. Etymology: ME f. ON gipt f. Gmc, rel. to GIVE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gift Gift, n. [OE. gift, yift, yeft, AS. gift, fr. gifan to give; akin to D. & G. gift, Icel. gift, gipt, Goth. gifts (in comp.). See Give, v. t.] 1. Anything given; anything voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation; a present; an offering. Shall I receive by gift, what of my own, . . . I can command ? --Milton. 2. The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing; as, the office is in the gift of the President. 3. A bribe; anything given to corrupt. Neither take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise. --Deut. xvi. 19. 4. Some quality or endowment given to man by God; a pre["e]minent and special talent or aptitude; power; faculty; as, the gift of wit; a gift for speaking. 5. (Law) A voluntary transfer of real or personal property, without any consideration. It can be perfected only by deed, or in case of personal property, by an actual delivery of possession. --Bouvier. Burrill. Gift rope (Naut), a rope extended to a boat for towing it; a guest rope. Syn: Present; donation; grant; largess; benefaction; boon; bounty; gratuity; endowment; talent; faculty. Usage: Gift, Present, Donation. These words, as here compared, denote something gratuitously imparted to another out of one's property. A gift is something given whether by a superior or an inferior, and is usually designed for the relief or benefit of him who receives it. A present is ordinarly from an equal or inferior, and is always intended as a compliment or expression of kindness. Donation is a word of more dignity, denoting, properly, a gift of considerable value, and ordinarly a gift made either to some public institution, or to an individual on account of his services to the public; as, a donation to a hospital, a charitable society, or a minister.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Gift Gift, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Gifted; p. pr. & vb. n. Gifting.] To endow with some power or faculty. He was gifted . . . with philosophical sagacity. --I. Taylor.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(gifts) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. A gift is something that you give someone as a present. ...a gift of $50.00... They believed the unborn child was a gift from God. ...gift shops. N-COUNT 2. If someone has a gift for doing something, they have a natural ability for doing it. As a youth he discovered a gift for teaching... Her grandmother had the gift of making people happy. N-COUNT: oft N for/of -ing/n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

(1.) An gratuity (Prov. 19:6) to secure favour (18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Num. 18:11), or a dowry (Gen. 34:12).

(2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2,6; 1Ch 18:2,6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps. 45:12; 72:10).

(3.) A bribe to a judge to obtain a favourable verdict (Ex. 23:8; Deut. 16:19).

(4.) Simply a thing given (Matt. 7:11; Luke 11:13; Eph. 4:8); sacrifical (Matt. 5:23, 24; 8:4); eleemosynary (Luke 21:1); a gratuity (John 4:10; Acts 8:20). In Acts 2:38 the generic word dorea is rendered "gift." It differs from the charisma (1 Cor. 12:4) as denoting not miraculous powers but the working of a new spirit in men, and that spirit from God.

The giving of presents entered largely into the affairs of common life in the East. The nature of the presents was as various as were the occasions: food (1 Sam. 9:7; 16:20), sheep and cattle (Gen. 32:13-15), gold (2 Sam. 18:11), jewels (Gen. 24:53), furniture, and vessels for eating and drinking (2 Sam. 17:28); delicacies, as spices, honey, etc. (1 Kings 10:25; 2 Kings 5: 22). The mode of presentation was with as much parade as possible: the presents were conveyed by the hands of servants (Judg. 3:18), or still better, on the backs of beasts of burden (2 Kings 8:9). The refusal of a present was regarded as a high indignity; and this constituted the aggravated insult noticed in Matt. 22:11, the marriage robe having been offered and refused.

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

gift (mattanah, minchah, shochadh; doron, dorea, chairisma): In Ge 25:6; Ex 28:38; Nu 18:6,7,29; Eze 20:26, etc., mattanah, "a gift," is so rendered; minchah, an offering or present, used especially of the "meat offerings," is translated "gift" (2Sa 8:2,6 the King James Version; 2Ch 26:8), in which passages "tribute" is meant, as the Revised Version (British and American); 32:23; Ps 45:12. A few other words occur singly, e.g. 'eshkar, "a reward" (Ps 72:10); mas'eth, "lifting up" (Es 2:18); nathun is translated "gifts" (Nu 8:19; the Revised Version, margin "Hebrew nethunim, given"); nedheh, nadhan, "impure gifts" (Eze 16:33); nisse'th, "a thing lifted up" (2Sa 19:42); shochadh means "a bribe" (Ex 23:8; De 16:19; 2Ch 19:7; Pr 6:35; 17:8,23; Isa 1:23; Eze 22:12); in each instance the American Standard Revised Version has "bribe" except Pr 6:35, "gifts"; teramah, "a present" (Pr 29:4), may also mean a bribe, the King James Version "he that receiveth gifts," the Revised Version (British and American) "he that exacteth gifts," margin "imposeth tribute, Hebrew a man of offerings."

In the New Testament doron, "a present," "gift" (from didomi, "to give"), is translated "gift" (Mt 2:11; 5:23,14 bis; Mr 7:11 the King James Version; Heb 5:1; Re 11:10, etc., referring chiefly to gifts or offerings to God); dorea, "a free gift" (Joh 4:10; Ac 2:38; Ro 5:15,17; 2Co 9:15; Heb 6:4, etc., referring to the gifts of God); dorema, "a free gift" (Ro 5:16; Jas 1:17, the English Revised Version "boon"); dosis, " giving" (Jas 1:17, "every good gift," the Revised Version, margin "giving"); charisma, "grace," "favor," a benefit or good conferred, is also used of Divine gifts and favors, especially of the supernatural gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit (charismata) enumerated in Ro 12; 1Co 12; the word occurs translated "gift, gifts" (Ro 1:11), "some spiritual gift" (Ro 5:15,16, "free gift"; Ro 6:23, "The gift of God is eternal life," the Revised Version (British and American) "free gift"; 11:29; 1Co 1:7; 7:7; 2Co 1:11; 1Ti 4:14; 2Ti 1:6; 1Pe 4:10); charis, "grace," "favor" (2Co 8:4, the Revised Version (British and American) "grace"); merismos, "distribution," "parting" (Heb 2:4, the Revised Version, margin "distributions"); anathema, "a thing devoted to God," is once (Lu 21:5) used of "the goodly gifts" (the Revised Version (British and American) "offerings") which adorned the Temple at Jerusalem.

In the Revised Version (British and American) "gift" is substituted in the text of Ge 33:11 for blessing, margin Hebrew "blessing"; "boasteth himself of his gifts falsely" (Pr 25:14) for "boasteth himself of a false gift," margin Hebrew "in a gift of falsehood"; "a parting gift" for "presents" (Mic 1:14); "Given to God" for "a gift" (Mr 7:11).

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Donation, present, benefaction, boon, gratuity, grant, offering, contribution, subscription, donative, largess, subsidy, allowance, endowment, bounty, bequest, legacy, dower, demise, dotation, douceur. 2. Talent, power, faculty, capability, capacity, ability, endowment, genius, turn, forte.

Moby Thesaurus

Christmas present, ability, accomplishment, accord, acquirement, acuity, acuteness, administer, adroitness, afford, allot, allow, alms, an ear for, an eye for, aptitude, aptness, attainment, award, baksheesh, benefaction, benefit, benevolence, bent, bestow, bestow on, bestowal, birthday present, bonus, boon, bounty, box, braininess, brightness, brilliance, bump, cadeau, caliber, capability, capacity, capacity for, charity, chip in, clear thinking, cleverness, communicate, compliment, complimentariness, confer, contribute, contribute to, contribution, costlessness, deal, deal out, dexterity, dish out, dispense, dole, dole out, donate, donate to, donation, dower, dowry, endowment, equipment, esprit, expenselessness, extend, facility, faculty, fairing, favor, felicity, flair, fork out, forte, free ride, freebie, freeness, genius, genius for, gift for, gift with, giftedness, gifts, give, give freely, give out, give to, grant, gratuitousness, gratuity, hand out, hand-out, handsel, head, heap, help to, honorarium, impart, inclination, innate aptitude, instinct, issue, keen-wittedness, keenness, kick in, knack, labor of love, largess, largesse, lavish, leaning, legacy, let have, long suit, makings, mental alertness, mercurial mind, mete, mete out, metier, native cleverness, natural endowment, natural gift, nimble mind, nimble-wittedness, nimbleness, no charge, nose, nous, numen, oblation, offer, offering, parts, peace offering, pledge, potential, pour, pourboire, power, powers, premium, present, presentation, prize, proffer, propensity, qualification, quick parts, quick thinking, quick wit, quick-wittedness, quickness, rain, ready wit, remembrance, render, reward, savvy, serve, set, sharp-wittedness, sharpness, shell out, shower, slip, smartness, smarts, snow, souvenir, speciality, specialty, sprightly wit, strength, strong flair, strong point, subscribe, sweeten the kitty, talent, talents, tendency, tender, the goods, the stuff, tip, token, tribute, turn, turn for, vouchsafe, what it takes, white elephant, yield