gift

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. present, donation, favor, bounty; contribution, gratuity, tip, largesse; talent, aptitude, ability.

See giving, power, skill, liberality.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Something given]

Syn. present, donation, presentation, gratuity, benefaction, largesse, grant, tip, boon, alms, endowment, bequest, bounty, charity, provision, favor, lagniappe, legacy, bestowal, award, reward, dispensation, philanthropy, offering, souvenir, keepsake, premium, token, pittance, remembrance, courtesy, bonus, subsidy, tribute, honorarium, subvention, contribution, subscription, donative, dole, relief, ration, benefit, offertory, Peter's pence, Trinkgeld (German), pourboire (French), baksheesh, allowance, handsel, remittance, giveaway, handout*, hand-me-down*, freebie*.

2. [An aptitude]

Syn. faculty, capacity, capability; see ability 1 , 2 .

• look a gift horse in the mouth*,

Syn. carp, criticize, be ungrateful; see censure .

See Synonym Study at talent . Syn.- gift and present both refer to something given as an expression of friendship, affection, esteem, etc., but gift , in current use, more often suggests formal bestowal [ Christmas presents , the painting was a gift to the museum ] ; donation applies to a gift of money, etc. for a philanthropic, charitable, or religious purpose, esp. as solicited in a public drive for funds [ a donation to the orchestra fund ] ; gratuity applies to a gift of money for services rendered, such as a tip to a waiter

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. present gratuity, donation, giveaway, contribution, offering, token, gesture, favor, benefaction, bonus, grant, tip.

2. talent natural ability, knack, faculty, aptitude, endowment, flair, bent, genius.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. Something bestowed freely: present2, presentation. Chiefly British: handsel. See GIVE. 2. Something given to a charity or cause: alms, benefaction, beneficence, charity, contribution, donation, handout, offering, subscription. See GIVE. 3. An innate capability: aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, genius, head, instinct, knack, talent, turn. See ABILITY, APPROACH. II verb To present with a quality, trait, or power: dower, endow, endue, gird, invest. See GIVE.