/boh"neuhs/ , n. , pl. bonuses .
1. something given or paid over and above what is due.
2. a sum of money granted or given to an employee, a returned soldier, etc., in addition to regular pay, usually in appreciation for work done, length of service, accumulated favors, etc.
3. something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
4. a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
5. something extra or additional given freely: Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.
[ 1765-75; ]
Syn. 1. reward, honorarium, gift. 2. BONUS, BOUNTY, PREMIUM refer to something extra beyond a stipulated payment. A BONUS is a gift to reward performance, paid either by a private employer or by a government: a bonus based on salary; a soldiers' bonus. A BOUNTY is a public aid or reward offered to stimulate interest in a specific purpose or undertaking and to encourage performance: a bounty for killing wolves. A PREMIUM is usually something additional given as an inducement to buy, produce, or the like: a premium received with a magazine subscription.