Bonus (Lat., 'good'), an originally jocular use of the Latin word to mean 'a good thing,' specially for an extra dividend given to shareholders of a company from surplus profits, or a portion of the profits of an insurance company distributed amongst policy-holders. Sometimes used for a mere douceur or bribe.
Bonus
Chambers's Encyclopaedia, Volume 2: Beaugency to Cataract, p. 299
Source scan(s): p. 0310