auction

Etymology

From Latin auctiō (“an increase, auction”), from Latin augere (“to increase”).

noun

1. A public event where goods or property are sold to the highest bidder.
   Auctions come in a wide variety. In a “Dutch auction”, often used to sell flowers and fruit, prices start high and gradually drop until a bidder is willing to pay up. A “Japanese auction” is a bit like poker: bids rise with each round and anyone who wants to win must bid every time. Vendors using auctions rid themselves of the headache of choosing prices and instead just pick the rules bidders must follow. 2014-07-12, “Competition, hammered”, in The Economist, volume 412, number 8895
2. (bridge) The first stage of a deal, in which players bid to determine the final contract.

verb

1. To sell at an auction.