Dictionary
bo•nus
Pronunciation: (bō'nus), [key]—
n.,
—pl. -nus•es.
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. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.