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give·a·way (gĭvə-wā)
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n.
Informal
1. An inadvertent revealing of something that is not otherwise evident or is meant to be concealed: Pulling at his ear was a giveaway that he was bluffing at cards.
2.
a. The act or an instance of giving something away or for inadequate compensation: the giveaway of free tickets to the concert; a government giveaway of offshore oil reserves to oil companies.
b. Something that is given away at no charge: giveaways like free toasters for opening a bank account.
3. A promotion or contest in which prizes are given away.
4. Sports The act or an instance of losing possession of the ball or puck to the opposing team, as by a misdirected pass.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.