bid

Etymology 1

From Middle English bidden, from Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”), 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.

verb

1. (transitive) To issue a command; to tell.
   He bade me come in.
2. (transitive) To invite; to summon.
   She was bidden to the wedding.
3. (transitive) To utter a greeting or salutation.
   The last train—a three-coach A.E.C. unit—from Belfast to Crumlin and back, was bade farewell with fog signals as it carried a capacity crowd of last-trip travellers. 1960 November, L. Hyland, “The Irish Scene”, in Trains Illustrated, page 691

Etymology 2

From Middle English beden, from Old English bēodan (“to offer, announce”), from Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“be awake, aware”). Conflated with Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”) (see Etymology 1 above). Compare Low German beden, Dutch bieden, German bieten, Danish byde, Norwegian Bokmål by. More at bede.

verb

1. (intransitive) To make an offer to pay or accept a certain price.
   Have you ever bid in an auction?
2. (transitive) To offer as a price.
   She bid £2000 for the Persian carpet.
3. (intransitive) To make an attempt.
   He was bidding for the chance to coach his team to victory once again.
4. (transitive, intransitive, card games) To announce (one's goal), before starting play.
5. (obsolete) To proclaim (a bede, prayer); to pray.
6. (transitive, intransitive, trucking) To take a particular route regularly.
   I can't believe he bid the Syracuse turn; that can be brutal in the winter!

noun

1. An offer at an auction, or to carry out a piece of work.
   His bid was $35,000.
   a bid for a lucrative transport contract
2. (ultimate frisbee) A (failed) attempt to receive or intercept a pass.
   Nice bid!
3. An attempt, effort, or pursuit (of a goal).
   Their efforts represented a sincere bid for success.
   She put in her bid for the presidency.
   He put in his bid for office.
   Then, as the Sunderland fans' cheers bellowed around the stadium, United's title bid was over when it became apparent City had pinched a last-gasp winner to seal their first title in 44 years. May 13, 2012, Alistair Magowan, “Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd”, in BBC Sport
   [Running,] Doyle had passed up a dozen chances to go underground. He was swinging east again making another bid for Arcade. 1967 May, William F. Nolan, George Clayton Johnson, Logan's Run, Bantam Books, published 1976, page 16
4. (trucking) A particular route that a driver regularly takes from their domicile.
   I can't stand this new bid I'm on, even if the mileage is better.
5. (prison slang) A prison sentence.
   "So we 'lawyered up'. That's how they say it in the bucket, son, where I did an eight-hour bid." 2007, Psych (TV series)