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bounty

noun
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boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Definition of bounty

1 : something that is given generously nature's bounty
2 : liberality in giving : generosity
3 : yield especially of a crop this summer's bounty of tomatoes
4 : a reward, premium, or subsidy especially when offered or given by a government: such as
a : an extra allowance to induce entry into the armed services
b : a grant to encourage an industry
c : a payment to encourage the destruction of noxious animals a bounty on coyotes
d : a payment for the capture of or assistance in the capture of an outlaw had a bounty of $500 on his head
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Synonyms for bounty

Synonyms

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Examples of bounty in a Sentence

summer's bounty of plump tomatoes The cottage is filled with a bounty of fresh flowers.
Recent Examples on the Web Alabama’s oyster season came to a close Tuesday amid a mix of optimism and frustration, as harvesters put a lost year behind them and fretted about a bounty left outside their grasp. — al, "’Like Christmas:’ Alabama’s oyster harvest winds down," 12 Feb. 2020 That's less than Facebook paid out in bug bounties last year, but at least the incentive helped catch a bug that put the data of 9.5 million users. — Brian Barrett, Wired, "Security News This Week: Pro-Trump Trolls Flooded the Iowa Caucus Phone Lines," 8 Feb. 2020 Winners can be awarded prizes by quarter, with a bigger bounty going to the participant who matches the game’s final score. — Mike Snider, USA TODAY, "A good bet: More people will wager on this year's Super Bowl than ever before," 30 Jan. 2020 The Buccaneers would want a bounty in exchange, and the Patriots have the draft capital to make something work. — Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, "A blueprint to remaking the Patriots," 25 Jan. 2020 People who were asked how to allocate a future, hypothetical bounty were prepared to save 27% of the total, agreeing to let the app automatically move that portion over to a savings account when the time came. — Lila Maclellan, Quartz at Work, "A Stanford behavioral strategist on three opportune moments to save money," 22 Jan. 2020 And to think, this bounty of gadget-y goodness was unveiled at the very start of the year. — PCWorld, "CES 2020: The chips, laptops, and badass gear PC enthusiasts need to know about," 11 Jan. 2020 The toughest bounties require pulling several jams. — Charlie Theel, Ars Technica, "Review: Cowboy Bebop becomes a boardgame," 11 Jan. 2020 The pop culture account posted about an unsubstantiated claim that an $80 million bounty had been set for President Trump (something apparently proposed by one eulogist at the funeral for Iranian Maj. — Washington Post, "Comedian George Lopez catches the attention of the Secret Service after a Trump joke. He’s not the first.," 7 Jan. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bounty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of bounty

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for bounty

Middle English bounte goodness, from Anglo-French bunté, bountee, from Latin bonitat-, bonitas, from bonus good, from Old Latin duenos; akin to Sanskrit duva reverence, favor

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Time Traveler for bounty

Time Traveler

The first known use of bounty was in the 13th century

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Statistics for bounty

Last Updated

17 Feb 2020

Cite this Entry

“Bounty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bounty. Accessed 22 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for bounty

bounty

noun
How to pronounce bounty (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of bounty

literary : good things that are given or provided freely and in large amounts
: an amount of money given to someone as a reward for catching a criminal

See the full definition for bounty in the English Language Learners Dictionary

bounty

noun
boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Kids Definition of bounty

1 : generosity sense 1 acts of bounty
2 : things given in generous amounts the bounty of nature
3 : money given as a reward The sheriff offered a bounty for the bandit's capture.

bounty

noun
boun·​ty | \ ˈbau̇n-tē How to pronounce bounty (audio) \
plural bounties

Legal Definition of bounty

1 : generosity in bestowing gifts especially by will
2 : a reward, premium, or subsidy especially offered by a government

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More from Merriam-Webster on bounty

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bounty

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with bounty

Spanish Central: Translation of bounty

Nglish: Translation of bounty for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of bounty for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bounty

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