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gibbon
gibbous
Gibbs free energy
gibbsite
gibe
Gibeonite
giblets
Gibraltar
Gibraltar board
Gibraltar, Rock of
Gibraltar, Strait of
Gibson Desert
Gibson girl
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gift

gift [ gift ]


noun  (plural gifts)
Definition:
 
1. something given: something that is given to somebody, usually on order to provide pleasure or to show gratitude
a birthday gift

2. special talent: a natural ability that somebody appears to have been born with, especially an artistic ability or social skill
a gift for making people feel at ease

3. act of giving: the act of giving something to somebody
her gift of $500,000 to help to build a new school

4. something easily gained: something that is obtained or achieved easily ( informal )
The last run was a gift; that should have been an easy catch.



transitive verb  (past and past participle gift·ed, present participle gift·ing, 3rd person present singular gifts)
Definition:
 
give something: to give or concede something to somebody as a gift

[13th century. < Old Norse gipt< Germanic]

Word Usage

Marketers are fond of the expression free gift, but because any gift worthy of its name is free, the result of using the two words together is unnecessary and should be avoided.


Word Key: Synonyms

See talent.

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