Definition

Noun: 1. A small, unexpected extra gift or benefit, especially one given by a merchant to a customer at the time of a purchase. It implies something given freely as a gesture of goodwill or appreciation, beyond what is required or expected.

Usage and Examples

• The bakery often includes a lagniappe, like a free cookie, with every large cake order.
• Consider the detailed user manual a lagniappe; our focus was on building a reliable product.
• "Thank you for your loyal business all these years. Please accept this bottle of wine as a lagniappe," said the shopkeeper.

Advanced Usage

• The concept of lagniappe can extend beyond commerce to describe any pleasant, unanticipated bonus.
  • The sunny weather during our trip was a wonderful lagniappe to the planned activities.

Variants and Related Words

• Lagniappe is a loanword from Louisiana French, which itself adopted it from the Spanish word . It is most commonly used in the Southern United States, particularly in Louisiana.

Synonyms

• Bonus
• Perk
• Extra
• Throw-in
• Gratuity (in this specific context)

Idioms and Phrases

• As a lagniappe: Used to introduce or describe the giving of such an extra.
  • He finished the repair quickly and, as a lagniappe, polished the wood.

Noun

1. a small gift (especially one given by a merchant to a customer who makes a purchase)