bonuses

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of bonus.

   Management tied this quarter's bonuses to overall team performance.

   Several departments saw their bonuses shrink after the budget cuts.

   Note

   Because the singular already ends in -s, English adds -es, giving a regular three-syllable plural. One plural covers every noun use of the word: an added benefit, extra pay for an employee or shareholder, points added to a game score, and free throws a team is awarded after the other side's fouls. The same spelling also serves as the verb form, so context decides which one is meant.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of bonus.

   The company bonuses its engineers for every patent they file.

   The agency bonuses staff who exceed their quarterly goals.

   Note

   The verb is transitive. The person being rewarded is the direct object, so a company bonuses its engineers rather than bonusing to them. The spelling works exactly as it does for the plural noun, so position is what tells them apart. After a singular subject it is the verb. After a word like their or this quarter's it is the noun.

Showing meanings only. Show all 2