I. ˈȯfə(r), ˈäf- verb
( offered ; offered ; offering -f(ə)riŋ ; offers )
Etymology: Middle English offren, offeren, in sense 1, from Old English offrian, from Late Latin offerre, from Latin, to present, tender, proffer, offer, from of- (from ob- to, toward, against) + ferre to carry; in other senses, from Old French offrir, from Latin offerre — more at ob- , bear
transitive verb
1.
a. : to present as an act of worship or devotion : sacrifice
to the Catholic church where she would offer a candle or so to his recovery — F.M.Ford
b. : to utter (as a prayer) in devotion — often used with up
offered up prayers of thanksgiving
2.
a. : to present for acceptance or rejection : hold out tender , proffer
offer a bribe
offer a bill to the legislature
offered his hand in marriage
was offered a job
b. : to present in order to meet a requirement
candidates for the degree may offer English as one of their foreign languages
3.
a. : to bring or put forward for action or consideration : propose , suggest
offer an opinion
offer a proposition
offered himself as a candidate for governor
b. : to declare one's readiness or willingness — used with an infinitive object
offered to help me
offered to join in the search
4.
a. : to try or begin to exert
offered stubborn resistance
don't shoot unless they offer violence
b. : undertake , attempt — used with an infinitive object
offered to strike him with his cane
offered to kiss her
a young bruiser … can hardly offer to beat up on an old man — W.L.Gresham
5. : to make available or accessible : supply , afford
summit offers a magnificent panorama
stream offering excellent fishing
the college offers courses in Russian
especially : to place (merchandise) on sale
offers a range of cameras at reasonable prices
6. : to present in performance or exhibition
offer a new comedy
7. : to propose as payment bid
offered me $10 for it
intransitive verb
1. : to present something as an act of worship or devotion : make an offering or sacrifice : sacrifice
in no other country … do people pray and offer as much as they do in Tibet — Heinrich Harrer
2. archaic : to make an attempt — used with at
3. : to come to hand : present itself
buying land whenever opportunity offered
4. : to make a proposal ; especially : to propose marriage
5. Britain : to be or to become available
free choice to get work where work is offering — Sydney (Australia) Bulletin
corn that is offering is quite suitable — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Synonyms:
offer , proffer , tender , present , and prefer can mean, in common, to put something before another for acceptance. offer in itself usually implies no more than the common meaning
offer a cigarette
offer a helping hand
offer a solution to a problem
offer to help out in a crisis
offer a good evening's entertainment
proffer , more literary than offer , adds, or throws stress on, the idea of voluntariness, spontaneity, or courtesy on the part of the doer or subject of the verb
proffer one's hand to a lady
proffer hospitality to strangers in trouble
sympathy should be proffered to the bereaved — Alexander MacDonald
tender , a term with a legal currency implying an offering of something according to the terms of the law for approval or acceptance, in general use adds to offer the idea of the modesty, humility, or gentleness of the doer or subject of the verb
tender your resignation
tender your services
tender your friendship
present can carry a strong suggestion of formalness or a ceremoniousness or outward show in the act of offering or can suggest the character of a gift in the thing offered
present a prize to a winning team
presented the Davy-Faraday Laboratory to the Royal Institution — S.F.Mason
the analysis of experimental science presented in this foreword — J.B.Conant
words by which one scholar can present clearly to another the results of an investigation on this complex subject — E.S.McCartney
prefer in the sense of proffer or present is current only in legal use, though it is common in literary works up to the late nineteenth century
the government of which the victim is a subject may justly prefer a claim — Encyc. Americana
has preferred some serious charges — Reginald Bretnor
I don't prefer any claim to being the soul of romance — Charles Dickens
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English offre, from Middle French, from Old French, from offrir
1. : an act of offering: as
a. : a presenting for acceptance : proffer
refused all offers of assistance
considering job offers from several firms
specifically : a proposal of marriage
if she was still single it was not for lack of offers
b. : an undertaking upon terms that embodies a promise given in consideration and in exchange for another's stipulated act or forbearance or designated reciprocal promise and that calls for acceptance or rejection by that other — compare contract
2. obsolete : offering
3. : a price named by one proposing to buy : bid
had several good offers for his house
4.
a. : attempt , try
made an offer to catch the ball
b. : an action or movement indicating a purpose or intention of doing something
halfhearted offer of resistance
made an offer of jumping out of the car
5. : a small knob on a deer's antler : a rudimentary tine
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- on offer