bid ( b¹d) v. bade ( b²d, b ³d) or bid bid·den ( b¹d"n) or bid bid·ding bids v. tr. 1. To issue a command to; direct. See note at command . 2. To utter (a greeting or salutation). 3. To invite to attend; summon. 4. past tense and past participle bid Games To state one's intention to take (tricks of a certain number or suit in cards): bid four hearts. 5. past tense and past participle bid To offer or propose (an amount) as a price. 6. past tense and past participle bid To offer (someone) membership, as in a group or club: " glancing around to be sure that he had been bid by a society that he wanted " Louis Auchincloss v. intr. 1. past tense and past participle bid To make an offer to pay or accept a specified price: decided not to bid on the roll-top desk. 2. past tense and past participle bid To seek to win or attain something; strive. n. 1. a. An offer or proposal of a price. b. The amount offered or proposed: They lost the contract because their bid was too high. 2. An invitation, especially one offering membership in a group or club. 3. Games a. The act of bidding in cards. b. The number of tricks or points declared. c. The trump or no-trump declared. d. The turn of a player to bid. 4. An earnest effort to win or attain something: made a bid for the presidency.

Phrasal Verbs: bid in 1. To outbid on one's own property at an auction in order to raise the final selling price. bid up 1. To increase the amount bid: bid up the price of wheat.

Idioms: bid defiance 1. To refuse to submit; offer resistance to. bid fair 1. To appear likely. [Middle English bidden to ask, command( from Old English biddan) ;See g w hedh- in Indo-European Roots.Middle English beden to offer, proclaim( from Old English b¶odan);See bheudh- in Indo-European Roots.] bid "der n.

bheudh- . Important derivatives are: bid forbid bode 1 Buddha 2 To be aware, to make aware. I. 1. a. BID , from Old English b ¶odan, to proclaim; b. FORBID , from Old English forb ¶odan, to forbid; c. VERBOTEN , from Old High German farbiotan , to forbid. a, b, and c all from Germanic *(for)beudan ( *for , before; see per 1 ). 2. BODE 1 , from Old English bodian , to announce, from boda , messenger, from Germanic *bud ½n-. 3. BEADLE , from Old English bydel , herald, messenger, and Old High German butil , herald, both from Germanic *budilaz , herald. 4. OMBUDSMAN , from Old Norse bodh , command, from Germanic *budam . 5. BUDDHA 2 ; BODHISATTVA , BO TREE , from Sanskrit bodhati , he awakes, is enlightened, becomes aware, and bodhi ¡/, perfect knowledge. [ Pokorny bheudh- 150. ]

g w hedh-. Important derivatives are: bid bead To ask, pray. I. 1. Suffixed form *g w hedh-yo-. BID , from Old English biddan , to ask, pray, from Germanic *bidjan , to pray, entreat. 2. BEAD , from Old English bed(u) , gebed , prayer ( ge- , intensive and collective prefix; see kom ), from Germanic *bidam , entreaty. 3. Suffixed form *g w hedh-to-. INFEST , MANIFEST , from Latin -festus , probably in º nfestus, hostile, ( < * ö-g w hedh-to-, " inexorable"; * ö-, not; see ne ), and perhaps in manifestus , caught in the act, red-handed ( manus , hand; see man- 2 ). [ Pokorny g ø hedh- 488, 2. bhedh- 114. ]

chi·na ( chº"n…) n. 1. High-quality porcelain or ceramic ware, originally made in China. 2. Porcelain or earthenware used for the table. [Short for chinaware]

Notes: Our term china for porcelain or ceramic ware is a shortening of chinaware and probably china dishes. Although the word china is identical in spelling to the name of the country, there are 16th- and 17th-century spellings like chiney, cheny, and cheney that reflect the borrowing into English of the Persian term for this porcelain, ch ºnº. The Persian word and the Sanskrit word c ºn³¡/, " Chinese people, " which gave us the English name for the country, go back to the Chinese word Qin, the name of the dynasty that ruled China from 221 to 206 B.C.

Chi·na ( chº"n…) Abbr. Ch. Chin. 1. A country of eastern Asia. Its ancient civilization traditionally dates to c. 2700 B.C. . After a bitter civil war (1946-1949) a people's republic led by Mao Zedong was established on the mainland, and the Nationalists fled to Taiwan. Beijing is the capital and Shanghai the largest city. Population, 1,008,175,288.

China , Republic of 1. See Taiwan .

auc·tion ( ôk"sh…n) n. 1. A public sale in which property or items of merchandise are sold to the highest bidder. 2. Games a. The bidding in bridge. b. Auction bridge. v. tr. auc·tioned auc·tion·ing auc·tions 1. To sell at or by an auction: auctioned off the remaining inventory. [Latin aucti½ aucti½n-from auctus, past participle of aug¶reto increase; See aug- in Indo-European Roots.]

aug- . Important derivatives are: nickname wax 2 auction augment author inaugurate auxiliary. To increase. I. Variant *(a)weg- ( < * …weg-). 1. EKE 1 , from Old English ¶ acan, ¶ can, to increase; a. NICKNAME , from Old English ¶ aca, an addition. Both a and b from Germanic *aukan . 2. Variant extended forms *wogs- , *wegs- . a. WAX 2 , from Old English weaxan , to grow, from Germanic *wahsan ; b. WAIST , from Old English *wæst , growth, hence perhaps waist, size, from Germanic *wahs-tu- . 3. Form *aug- ¶-. AUCTION , AUGEND , AUGMENT , AUTHOR , ( AUTHORIZE ), ( OCTROI ), from Latin aug ¶re, to increase. 4. AUGUR ; INAUGURATE , from Latin augur , diviner ( < " he who obtains favorable presage " < " divine favor, increase "). 5. AUGUST , from Latin augustus , majestic, august. 6. Suffixed form *aug-s- . a. AUXILIARY , from Latin auxilium , aid, support, assistance; b. AUXIN , AUXESIS from Greek auxein , auxanein , to increase. [ Pokorny a øeg- 84. ]

art 1 ( ärt) n. 1. Human effort to imitate, supplement, alter, or counteract the work of nature. 2. a. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium. b. The study of these activities. c. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group. 3. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value. 4. A field or category of art, such as music, ballet, or literature. 5. A nonscientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts. 6. a. A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building. b. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer. 7. a. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith's art. b. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: " Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice " Joyce Carol Oates 8. a. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks. b. Artful contrivance; cunning. 9. Printing Illustrative material. [Middle English from Old French from Latin ars art-; See ar- in Indo-European Roots.]

Synonyms: art craft expertise knack know-how technique The central meaning shared by these nouns is " skill in doing or performing that is attained by study, practice, or observation ": the art of expressing oneself clearly; pottery that reveals craft and fine workmanship; political expertise; a knack for teaching; the know-how to sew one's own clothes; an outstanding keyboard technique.

art 2 ( …rt)( ärt )when stressed v. Archaic 1. A second person singular present indicative of be . [Middle English from Old English eart; See er- 1 in Indo-European Roots.]

ar- . Important derivatives are: arm 1 arm 2 army alarm disarm harmony art 1 artist inert article aristocracy order ordinary ornate adorn rate 1 ratio reason read hatred riddle 2 rite arithmetic rhyme Also ar …- To fit together. I. Basic form *ar …-. 1. Suffixed form *ar( …)-mo-. a. ARM 1 , from Old English earm , arm, from Germanic *armaz ; b. ARM 2 , ( ARMADA ), ARMADILLO , ARMATURE , ARMOIRE , ARMY ; ALARM , DISARM , from Latin arma , tools, arms; c. ARMILLARY SPHERE , from Latin armus , upper arm. 2. Suffixed form *ar( …)-smo-. HARMONY , from Greek harmos , joint, shoulder. 3. Suffixed form *ar( …)-ti-. a. ART 1 , ARTISAN , ARTIST ; INERT , ( INERTIA ), from Latin ars (stem art- ), art, skill, craft; b. further suffixed form *ar( …)-ti-o-. ARTIODACTYL , from Greek artios , fitting, even. 4. Suffixed form *ar( …)-tu-. ARTICLE , from Latin artus , joint. 5. Suffixed form *ar( …)-to-. COARCTATE , from Latin artus , tight. 6. Suffixed form *ar( …)-dhro-. ARTHRO- ; ANARTHROUS , DIARTHROSIS , ENARTHROSIS , SYNARTHROSIS , from Greek arthron , joint. 7. Suffixed (superlative) form *ar( …)-isto-. ARISTOCRACY , from Greek aristos , best. II. Possibly suffixed variant form (or separate root) * ½r-dh-. 1. ORDAIN , ORDER , ORDINAL , ORDINANCE , ORDINARY , ORDINATE , ORDO ; COORDINATION , INORDINATE , SUBORDINATE , from Latin ½ rd½, order (originally a row of threads in a loom). 2. EXORDIUM , PRIMORDIAL , from Latin ½ rdºrº, to begin to weave. 3. ORNAMENT , ORNATE ; ADORN , SUBORN , from Latin ½ rn³re, to adorn. III. Variant or separate root *r ¶- ( < *re …-). 1. RATE 1 , RATIO , REASON ; ( ARRAIGN ), from Latin r ¶rº, to consider, confirm, ratify. 2. Suffixed form *r ¶-dh-. a. (i) READ , REDE , from Old English r Ædan, to advise; (ii) HATRED , KINDRED , from Old English r Æden, condition. Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic *r ¶dan; b. (i) RATHSKELLER , from Old High German r ³t, counsel; (ii) RIDDLE 2 , from Old English r Ædels(e), opinion, riddle. Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic *r ¶daz. 3. Zero-grade form *r …-. (see dek ©) Germanic *radam , number. IV. Variant (or separate root) *r º-. 1. Suffixed form *r º-tu-. RITE , from Latin r ºtus, rite, custom, usage. 2. Suffixed form *(a)r º-dhmo-. ARITHMETIC , LOGARITHM , from Greek arithmos , number, amount. 3. RHYME , from a Germanic source akin to Old High German r ºm, number, series. [ Pokorny 1. ar- 55. ]

er- 1 . Important derivatives are: are 1 earnest 1 orient origin original abort To move, set in motion. I. 1. ARE 1 , ART 2 , from Old English eart and aron , second person singular and plural present of b ¶on, to be, from Germanic *ar- , *or- , *art(a) , to be, exist, probably from er- 1 . 2. EARNEST 1 , from Old English eornoste , zealous, serious, from Germanic suffixed form *er-n-os-ti- , perhaps from er- 1 . 3. Suffixed form *or-yo- . ORIENT , ORIGIN , ( ORIGINAL ); ABORT , from Latin or ºrº, to arise, appear, be born. 4. Suffixed form *or-sm ³-. HORMONE , from Greek horm ¶, impulse, onrush. [ Pokorny 3. er- 326; ergh- 339. ]

pot 1 ( p¼t) n. 1. Any of various usually domestic containers made of pottery, metal, or glass, as: a. A round, fairly deep cooking vessel with a handle and often a lid. b. A short, round container for storing or serving food: a jam pot; a mustard pot. c. A coffeepot. d. A teapot. 2. a. Such a container and its contents: a pot of stew; brewed a pot of coffee. b. A potful. 3. a. A large drinking cup; a tankard. b. A drink of liquor contained in such a cup. 4. An artistic or decorative ceramic vessel of any shape. 5. A flowerpot. 6. Something, such as a chimney pot or a chamber pot, that resembles a round cooking vessel in appearance or function. 7. A trap for eels, other fish, or crustaceans, typically consisting of a wicker or wire basket or cage. 8. Games a. The total amount staked by all the players in one hand at cards. See note at bet . b. The area on a card table where stakes are placed. c. A shot in billiards or related games intended to send a ball into a pocket. 9. Informal A common fund to which members of a group contribute. 10. Often pots Informal A large amount: made pots of money on their investment. 11. Computer Science A section of storage reserved for storing accumulated data. 12. Informal A potshot. 13. Informal A potbelly. 14. Informal A potty or toilet. 15. See potentiometer . v. pot·ted pot·ting pots v. tr. 1. To place or plant in a pot: pot a geranium. 2. To preserve (food) in a pot. 3. To cook in a pot. 4. To shoot (game) for food rather than for sport. 5. Informal To shoot with a potshot. 6. Informal To win or capture; bag. 7. Games To hit (a ball) into a pocket. v. intr. 1. Informal To take a potshot. [Middle English from Old English pott from Vulgar Latin *pottus ]

pot 2 ( p¼t) n. Slang 1. Marijuana. [Origin unknown]