I. ATTEMPTING OR OFFERING
(bids, bidding)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
Note: The form 'bid' is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.
1.
A bid for something or a bid to do something is an attempt to obtain it or do it. (JOURNALISM)
...Sydney's successful bid for the 2000 Olympic Games...
The Government has already closed down two newspapers in a bid to silence its critics.
= attempt
N-COUNT: N for n, N to-inf
2.
A bid is an offer to pay a particular amount of money for something that is being sold.
Hanson made an agreed takeover bid of ?351 million.
N-COUNT
3.
If you bid for something or bid to do something, you try to obtain it or do it.
Singapore Airlines is rumoured to be bidding for a management contract to run both airports...
I don't think she is bidding to be Prime Minister again.
VERB: V for n, V to-inf
4.
If you bid for something that is being sold, you offer to pay a particular amount of money for it.
She decided to bid for a Georgian dressing table...
The bank announced its intention to bid...
He certainly wasn't going to bid $18 billion for this company.
VERB: V for n, V, V n
• bidding
The bidding starts at ?2 million.
N-UNCOUNT
II. SAYING SOMETHING
(bids, bidding, bade, bidden)
Note: American English sometimes uses the form 'bid' for the past tense.
If you bid someone farewell, you say goodbye to them. If you bid them goodnight, you say goodnight to them. (FORMAL)
She bade farewell to her son...
I bade her goodnight.
= wish
VERB: V n to n, V n n