FromMiddle High Germangift f(“gift, present”),Old High Germangift f(“gift”), fromProto-West Germanic*gifti, fromProto-Germanic*giftiz, which is a derivation of*gebaną(“to give”). Cognate withEnglishgift.^[1]

The word has been used as a euphemism for "poison" since Old High German, asemantic loan fromLate Latindosis(“dose”), fromAncient Greekδόσις(dósis,“gift; dose of medicine”). The original meaning "gift" has disappeared in contemporary Standard German, but remains in some compounds (seeMitgift). Compare alsoDutchgift(“gift”) alongsidegif(“poison”).

• IPA^(key):/ɡɪft/
• Rhymes:-ɪft

• Audio:

  (file)

Gift n (strong,genitiveGiftesorGifts,pluralGifte)

1. poison;toxin;venom
   • 2010,Der Spiegel‎^[1], number31/2010, page49:

     Der Mann ist Toxikologe, ein Experte fürGift. Er arbeitet für ein Pharma-Unternehmen.

     The man is a toxicologist, an expert onpoison. He works for a pharmaceutical business.

• While the word is neuter in contemporary German, it may also occasionally be masculine in older texts.
• Note thatGift is a false friend and does not mean "gift". The general word for "gift" isGeschenk.

Gift f (genitiveGift,pluralGiften)

1. (obsolete)gift; something given

   Synonym:Gabe

• Mitgift

• Danish:gift(“poison”)
  • → Faroese:gift
• Saterland Frisian:Gift

• “Gift” inDigitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Gift” in Uni Leipzig:Wortschatz-Lexikon
•  Gift on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia^de
• “Gift” inDuden online
• “Gift” inDuden online

FromMiddle High German andOld High Germangift, fromProto-West Germanic*gifti, fromProto-Germanic*giftiz.

• IPA^(key):/kift/

Gift n (pluralGifte)

1. poison

   Sie hodGift genomm.

   She tookpoison.

   Bass uff, das isGift.

   Beware, this ispoison.

• Online Hunsrik Dictionary

FromMiddle High German andOld High Germangift, fromProto-West Germanic*gifti, fromProto-Germanic*giftiz. CompareGermanGift,Dutchgif.

Gift n

1. poison
2. poison ivy, ivy poisoning