bid

Pronunciation: /bɪd/

Reading level: medium

Estimated CEFR level: A2 — Elementary

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
  2. noun an attempt to get something
  3. noun a formal proposal to buy at a specified price

Etymology

From Middle English bidden, from Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”), from Proto-West Germanic *biddjan, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-. Conflated with Old English bēodan (“to offer, announce”) (see Etymology 2 below). Compare West Frisian bidde, Low German bidden, Dutch bidden ("to pray"), German bitten, Danish bede, Norwegian Bokmål be.

In classic literature

Synonyms

command, bidding, dictation

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
speech act
Narrower (hyponyms)
open sesame, commission, injunction, behest, countermand, commandment

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