[gift] n [ME, fr. ON, something given, talent; akin to OE giefan to give] (12c) 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 syn 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".
[2]gift vt (ca. 1550) 1: to endow with some power, quality, or attribute
2: present "generously ~ed us with a copy --Saturday Rev."