Gift, n.
Etymology: [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 preëminent and special talent or aptitude; power; faculty; as, the gift of wit; a gift for speaking.
3 more senses
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. -- 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.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
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.
Shades of meaning
A gift is in the popular, and also in the legal sense that which is voluntarily bestowed without expectation of return or compensation. Gift is now almost always used in the good sense, bribe always in the evil sense to signify payment for a dishonorable service under the semblance of a gift. In Scriptural language gift is often used for bribe. "The king by judgment establisheth the land; but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it." Prov. xxix, 4. A benefaction is a charitable gift, generally of large amount, and viewed as of enduring value, as an endowment for a college. A donation is something, perhaps of great, never of trivial value, given usually on some public ground, as to a cause or to a person representing a cause, but not necessarily of value beyond the immediate present; as, a donation to a pastor. A gratuity is usually something of moderate value and is always given as to an inferior, and as of favor, not of right; as, a gratuity to a waiter. Largess is archaic for a bountiful gratuity, usually to be distributed among many, as among the heralds at ancient tournaments. A present is a gift of friendship, or conciliation, and given as to an equal or a superior; no one's pride is hurt by accepting what is viewed as strictly a present. A boon is a gift that has been desired or craved or perhaps asked, or something freely given that meets some great desire. A grant is commonly considerable in amount and given by public authority; as, a grant of public lands for a college.