bid¹ / bid/ • v. (bid·ding; past and past part. bid) [tr.] offer (a certain price) for something, esp. at an auction: a consortium of dealers bid a world record price for a snuff box [intr.] guests will bid for pieces of fine jewelry. ∎  [intr.] (bid for) (of a contractor) offer to do (work) for a stated price; tender for: nineteen companies have indicated their intention to bid for the contract. ∎  [intr.] (bid for) make an effort or attempt to achieve: the two freshmen are bidding for places in the varsity swim team. ∎  Bridge make a bid: North bids four hearts [intr.] with this hand, South should not bid. • n. an offer of a price, esp. at an auction: several buyers made bids for the Van Gogh sketches. ∎  an offer to buy the shares of a company in order to gain control of it: a takeover bid. ∎  an offer to do work or supply goods at a stated price; a tender. ∎  an attempt or effort to achieve something: an investigation would be carried out in a bid to establish what had happened she did not hesitate to help him make a bid for the presidency. ∎  Bridge an undertaking by a player in the auction to make a stated number of tricks with a stated suit as trumps.DERIVATIVES: bid·der n.bid² • v. (bid·ding ; past bid or bade / bad; bād/ ; past part. bid) [tr.] 1. utter (a greeting or farewell) to: a chance to bid farewell to their president. 2. archaic or poetic/lit. command or order (someone) to do something: I did as he bade me. ∎  invite (someone) to do something: he bade his companions enter.

bid pt. (in D) bade, (in B) bid; pp. (in D) bidden, (in B and C) bid. A. ask, pray; B. offer; C. announce; D. command. The present forms repr. OE. str. vb. biddan, pt. bæd, bǣdon, pp. beden ask, entreat, demand = OS. biddian, OHG. (G.) bitten, ON. biðja, Goth. biðjan :- Gmc. *biðjan.

The present meanings combine those of this vb. with those of OE. bēodan, pt. bēad, budon, pp. boden offer, announce, command = OS. biodan, OHG. biotan (G. bieten), ON. bjóða, Goth. biudan.

OE. biddan had already acquired the sense ‘command’, and the similarity of several of the ME. forms of the two vbs. furthered the unification of the two words.

bid never bid the Devil good morrow until you meet him a warning against trying to deal with problems or difficulties before they have actually occurred; recorded from the late 19th century, and said there to be an old Irish saying.

See also Laurence of Chancery.