(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
An ~ is a public sale where goods are sold to the person who offers the highest price.
Lord Salisbury bought the picture at ~ in London some years ago...
N-VAR: oft for/at N, N n
2.
If something is ~ed, it is sold in an ~.
VERB