BID (bade, bidden, bidding)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does bid mean? 

• BID (noun)
  The noun BID has 4 senses:

1. an authoritative direction or instruction to do something

2. an attempt to get something

3. a formal proposal to buy at a specified price

4. (bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make

  Familiarity information: BID used as a noun is uncommon.

• BID (verb)
  The verb BID has 6 senses:

1. propose a payment

2. invoke upon

3. ask for or request earnestly

4. make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands

5. make a serious effort to attain something

6. ask someone in a friendly way to do something

  Familiarity information: BID used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BID (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An authoritative direction or instruction to do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bid; bidding; command; dictation

Hypernyms ("bid" is a kind of...):

speech act (the use of language to perform some act)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bid"):

countermand (a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command)

order ((often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed)

charge; commission; direction (a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something)

commandment (something that is commanded)

injunction (a formal command or admonition)

behest (an authoritative command or request)

open sesame (a magical command; used by Ali Baba)

Derivation:

bid (ask for or request earnestly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An attempt to get something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

bid; play

Context example:

he made a bid to gain attention

Hypernyms ("bid" is a kind of...):

attempt; effort; endeavor; endeavour; try (earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something)

Derivation:

bid (make a serious effort to attain something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A formal proposal to buy at a specified price

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bid; tender

Hypernyms ("bid" is a kind of...):

offer; offering (something offered (as a proposal or bid))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bid"):

overbid (a bid that is higher than preceding bids)

buyout bid (a bid to buy all of a person's holdings)

Derivation:

bid (make a serious effort to attain something)

bid (propose a payment)

Sense 4

Meaning:

(bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

bid; bidding

Hypernyms ("bid" is a kind of...):

statement (a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc)

Domain category:

bridge (any of various card games based on whist for four players)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "bid"):

contract; declaration ((contract bridge) the highest bid becomes the contract setting the number of tricks that the bidder must make)

takeout ((bridge) a bid that asks your partner to bid another suit)

overbid; overcall ((bridge) a bid that is higher than your opponent's bid (especially when your partner has not bid at all and your bid exceeds the value of your hand))

pre-empt; preempt; preemptive bid (a high bid that is intended to prevent the opposing players from bidding)

Holonyms ("bid" is a part of...):

bridge (any of various card games based on whist for four players)

Derivation:

bid (make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands)

• BID (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Propose a payment

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bid; offer; tender

Context example:

The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting

"Bid" entails doing...:

bargain; dicker (negotiate the terms of an exchange)

Domain category:

auction; auction sale; vendue (the public sale of something to the highest bidder)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bid"):

by-bid (bid on behalf of someone else)

subscribe (offer to buy, as of stocks and shares)

overbid (bid more than the object is worth)

underbid (bid too low)

outbid (bid higher than others)

underbid (bid lower than a competing bidder)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

bid (a formal proposal to buy at a specified price)

bidder (someone who makes an offer)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Invoke upon

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bid; wish

Context example:

bid farewell

Hypernyms (to "bid" is one way to...):

greet; recognise; recognize (express greetings upon meeting someone)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bid"):

congratulate; felicitate (express congratulations)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Sense 3

Meaning:

Ask for or request earnestly

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

adjure; beseech; bid; conjure; entreat; press

Context example:

The prophet bid all people to become good persons

Hypernyms (to "bid" is one way to...):

plead (appeal or request earnestly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

bid (an authoritative direction or instruction to do something)

biddable (willing to carry out the orders or wishes of another without protest)

bidding (an authoritative direction or instruction to do something)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a demand, as for a card or a suit or a show of hands

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bid; call

Context example:

He called his trump

Hypernyms (to "bid" is one way to...):

play (participate in games or sport)

Domain category:

card game; cards (a game played with playing cards)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bid"):

raise (bid (one's partner's suit) at a higher level)

double (bridge: make a demand for (a card or suit))

outcall (make a higher bid than (the previous bid or player); in a card game)

underbid (bid (a hand of cards) at less than the strength of the hand warrants)

outbid (bid over an opponent's bid when one's partner has not bid or doubled)

overbid (to bid for more tricks than one can expect to win,)

preempt (make a preemptive bid in the game of bridge)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Derivation:

bid ((bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make)

bidder (someone who makes a bid at cards)

bidding ((bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to contract to make)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Make a serious effort to attain something

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

His campaign bid for the attention of the poor population

Hypernyms (to "bid" is one way to...):

seek (try to get or reach)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

bid (an attempt to get something)

bid (a formal proposal to buy at a specified price)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Ask someone in a friendly way to do something

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

bid; invite

Hypernyms (to "bid" is one way to...):

request (ask (a person) to do something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "bid"):

challenge (issue a challenge to)

allure; tempt (dispose or incline or entice to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They bid him to write the letter

Derivation:

biddable (willing to carry out the orders or wishes of another without protest)

bidding (a request to be present)

 Context examples 

Her impatient attendant scolds her, tells her I am not in mourning, bids her look again, tries to rouse her.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

His father, Elmo, a huge St. Bernard, had been the Judge’s inseparable companion, and Buck bid fair to follow in the way of his father.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

She, however, did everything he bade her, without opposition, silently and with half-shut eyes.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

He may not enter anywhere at the first, unless there be some one of the household who bid him to come; though afterwards he can come as he please.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

He avoided tight places and always backed out of it when they bade fair to surround him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

While not naming any other bidders, Maróth said the Hungarian bid won after lengthy negotiations, out of mulitple competing offers.

(Hungarian state-owned enterprise acquires Hirtenberger Defence Group, Wikinews)

A major conference to be held at the Vatican is bringing together prominent biologists, ecologists and economists as part of the Biological Extinction conference in a bid to halt the mass extinction.

(Nearly Half the Planet's Species Could Be Wiped Out by the End of This Century, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

I've told him he must go to sleep, as you bid him, and he must, if I stay here all night.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Molony also claims the ship backed into its Southampton berth in a bid to hide fire damage.

(UK documentary claims fire weakened RMS Titanic, Wikinews)

One of the seamen, in Portuguese, bid me rise, and asked who I was.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)