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Added 8 October 2026

bid

/bɪd/ symbol

In Latin: liceor Wiktionary

symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bid at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

ISO 639-3 language code for Bidiyo.

verb

To issue a command; to tell.
He bade me come in.
To invite; to summon.
She was bidden to the wedding.
To utter a greeting or salutation.

verb

To make an offer to pay or accept a certain price.
Have you ever bid in an auction?
To offer as a price; to tender.
She bid £2000 for the Persian carpet.
To make an attempt.
He was bidding for the chance to coach his team to victory once again.

noun

An offer at an auction, or to carry out a piece of work.
His bid was $35,000.
A (failed) attempt to receive or intercept a pass.
Nice bid!
An attempt, effort, or pursuit (of a goal).
Their efforts represented a sincere bid for success.

Origin

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.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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