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bonus
[ boh-nuhs ]
/ ˈboʊ nəs /
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noun, plural bo·nus·es.
something given or paid over and above what is due.
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.
something free, as an extra dividend, given by a corporation to a purchaser of its securities.
a premium paid for a loan, contract, etc.
something extra or additional given freely: Every purchaser of a pound of coffee received a box of cookies as a bonus.
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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of bonus
1765–75; <Latin: good
synonym study for bonus
1, 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. See also present2.
Words nearby bonus
Bontempelli, Bontemps, Bontoc, Bontok, bon ton, bonus, Bonus Army, bonus baby, Bonus Eventus, bonus issue, bon vivant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bonus in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for bonus
bonus
/ (ˈbəʊnəs) /
noun
something given, paid, or received above what is due or expecteda Christmas bonus for all employees
mainly British an extra dividend allotted to shareholders out of profits
insurance, British a dividend, esp a percentage of net profits, distributed to policyholders either annually or when the policy matures
British a slang word for a bribe
Word Origin for bonus
C18: from Latin bonus (adj) good
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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