Library / English Dictionary

BID

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: bade    , bidden    , bidding   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

An attempt to get something

Example:

he made a bid to gain attention

Synonyms:

bid; play

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

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 2

Meaning:

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

Synonyms:

bid; bidding

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A formal proposal to buy at a specified price

Synonyms:

bid; tender

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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:

An authoritative direction or instruction to do something

Synonyms:

bid; bidding; command; dictation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Ask for or request earnestly

Example:

The prophet bid all people to become good persons

Synonyms:

adjure; beseech; bid; conjure; entreat; press

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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 2

Meaning:

Ask someone in a friendly way to do something

Synonyms:

bid; invite

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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:

bidding (a request to be present)

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Invoke upon

Example:

bid farewell

Synonyms:

bid; wish

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

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 4

Meaning:

Make a serious effort to attain something

Example:

His campaign bid for the attention of the poor population

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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 5

Meaning:

Propose a payment

Example:

The Swiss dealer offered $2 million for the painting

Synonyms:

bid; offer; tender

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

"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 6

Meaning:

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

Example:

He called his trump

Synonyms:

bid; call

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

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)

Credits

 Context examples: 

While Mercury is retrograde, you may lose a bid on a house, but then find something you like even better afterwards.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

And if he is the lovely Lady, I shall pretend to spring upon her, and so compel her to do my bidding.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

When Keesh arrived a messenger was sent to him, bidding him come to the council.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

“Hoist in your boat, I said,” he repeated, this time in sharper tones as they hesitated to do his bidding.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

At two o’clock he bade me good-day, complimented me upon the amount that I had written, and locked the door of the office after me.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Their bid was low pleasure, narrow as the grave, that palled, and the grave was at the end of it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

‘On no condition?’ I asked, at the bidding of our tyrant.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is conceivable that the fellow might hold it back to see what bids come from this side before he tries his luck on the other.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But now, as soon as the horses arrived, I hurried into a cabriolet, and bade farewell to my friend.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

And yet I done your bidding with my eyes shut and never a word of hope!

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)