bidden
- a past participle of bid1.
bid
1- to command; order; direct: to bid them depart.
- to express (a greeting, farewell, benediction, or wish): to bid good night.
- Commerce. to offer (a certain sum) as the price one will pay or charge: They bid $25,000 and got the contract.
- Cards. to enter a bid of (a given quantity or suit): to bid two no-trump.
- to summon by invitation; invite.
- to command; order; direct: I will do as you bid.
- to make a bid: She bid at the auction for the old chair.
- an act or instance of bidding.
- Cards.
- an offer to make a specified number of points or to take a specified number of tricks.
- the amount of such an offer.
- the turn of a person to bid.
- an invitation: a bid to join the club.
- an attempt to attain some goal or purpose: a bid for election.
- Also called bid price. Stock Exchange. the highest price a prospective buyer is willing to pay for a security at a given moment.
- bid in, Commerce. to overbid all offers for (property) at an auction in order to retain ownership.
- bid up, Commerce. to increase the market price of by increasing bids.
- bid fair. fair1(def 29).
Origin of bid
1Synonyms for bid
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.combid
2- past participle of bide.
Related Words for bidden
tender, propose, submit, wish, invite, solicit, venture, render, present, proffer, call, tell, greet, desire, warn, require, demand, request, instruct, directExamples from the Web for bidden
Historical Examples of bidden
Robert drew a jackknife from his pocket, and did as he was bidden.
Brave and BoldHoratio Alger
Johnny stared, opened his mouth to speak, then wisely closed it and did as he was bidden.
Chip, of the Flying UB. M. Bower
May this flower keep a sweet smell, long after I have bidden you good by.
The Sister Years (From "Twice Told Tales")Nathaniel Hawthorne
Having stabled the horses as I was bidden, I came back here to await them.
Fair MargaretH. Rider Haggard
The malgamite makers were bidden to come as soon as they liked.
Roden's CornerHenry Seton Merriman
bidden
- a past participle of bid
bid
- (often foll by for or against) to offer (an amount) in attempting to buy something, esp in competition with others as at an auction
- commerce to respond to an offer by a seller by stating (the more favourable terms) on which one is willing to make a purchase
- (tr) to say (a greeting, blessing, etc)to bid farewell
- to order; commanddo as you are bid!
- (intr usually foll by for) to attempt to attain power, etc
- (tr) to invite; ask kindlyshe bade him sit down
- bridge to declare in the auction before play how many tricks one expects to make
- bid defiance to resist boldly
- bid fair to seem probable
- an offer of a specified amount, as at an auction
- the price offered
- commerce
- a statement by a buyer, in response to an offer by a seller, of the more favourable terms that would be acceptable
- the price or other terms so stated
- an attempt, esp an attempt to attain power
- bridge
- the number of tricks a player undertakes to make
- a player's turn to make a bid
- short for bid price
Word Origin for bid
Word Origin and History for bidden
bid
probably a merger of two old words: The sense in bid farewell is from Old English biddan "to ask, entreat, pray, beseech; order; beg" (class V strong verb, past tense bæd, past participle beden), from Proto-Germanic *bidjan "to pray, entreat" (cf. German bitten "to ask," attested from 8c.), which, according to Kluge and Watkins is from a PIE root *gwhedh- "to ask, pray" (see bead (n.)).
To bid at an auction, meanwhile, is from Old English beodan "offer, proclaim" (class II strong verb; past tense bead, p.p. boden), from Proto-Germanic *biudanan "to stretch out, reach out, offer, present," (cf. German bieten "to offer"), from PIE root *bh(e)udh- "to be aware, make aware" (cf. Sanskrit bodhati "is awake, is watchful, observes," buddhah "awakened, enlightened;" Old Church Slavonic bljudo "to observe;" Lithuanian budeti "to be awake;" Old Irish buide "contentment, thanks"). As a noun, 1788, from the verb.