offer

plural offers · alternative offre · alternative pronunciation spelling offa

1. A proposal that has been made.

   What's in his offer?

   2 more examples

   I decline your offer to contract.

   One morning I had been driven to the precarious refuge afforded by the steps of the inn, after rejecting offers from the Celebrity to join him in a variety of amusements. But even here I was not free from interruption, for he was seated on a horse-block below me, playing with a fox terrier.

   1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC

2. Something put forth, bid, proffered or tendered.

   His offer was $3.50 per share.

3. lawAn invitation to enter into a binding contract communicated to another party which contains terms sufficiently definite to create an enforceable contract if the other party accepts the invitation.

   His first letter was not a real offer, but an attempt to determine interest.

present singular third person offers · participle present offering · participle past offered · past offered · alternative offre · alternative pronunciation spelling offa

1. intransitiveTo propose or express one's willingness (to do something).

   She offered to help with her homework.

2. transitiveTo present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of; to suggest.

   Everybody offered an opinion.

3. transitiveTo place at someone’s disposal; to present (something) to be either accepted or turned down.

   He offered use of his car for the week.

   3 more examples

   He offered his good will for the Councilman's vote.

   Carried somehow, somewhither, for some reason, on these surging floods, were these travelers,[…]. Even such a boat as the Mount Vernon offered a total deck space so cramped as to leave secrecy or privacy well out of the question, even had the motley and democratic assemblage of passengers been disposed to accord either.

   1910, Emerson Hough, chapter II, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

   Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic[…]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become.[…]But the scandals kept coming,[…]. A broad section of the political class now recognises the need for change but remains unable to see the necessity of a fundamental overhaul. Instead it offers fixes and patches.

   2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21

   Synonyms: extend

   1. transitiveTo present (something) for sale.

      Synonyms: extend

4. transitiveTo present (something) to God or gods, as a gesture of worship or as a sacrifice.

   Thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Exodus xxix:36

5. transitiveTo present (something) to the sight etc.; to provide for use, consideration etc.

   The city offers beautiful architecture.

   Synonyms: offer up, showcase

6. transitiveengineeringTo place (something) in a position where it can be added to an existing mechanical assembly.

   The next stage is to remove and replace the top part of the right side lip, and offer the lid to the car to ensure all the shapes and gaps are okay.

   2009, Roger Williams, Triumph TR2, 3, 3A, 4 & 4A

7. transitiveTo bid, as a price, reward, or wages.

   I offered twenty dollars for it. The company is offering a salary of £30,000 a year.

8. intransitiveTo happen, to present itself.

   The occasion offers, and the youth complies.

   1697, Virgil, “The Fourth Book of the Georgics”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

   2 more examples

   The opportunity however did not offer till next morning, for Phœbe did not come to bed till long after I was gone to ſleep:

   Fanny Hill

   1749, [John Cleland], “[Letter the First]”, in Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure [Fanny Hill], volume I, London: […] [Thomas Parker] for G. Fenton [i.e., Fenton and Ralph Griffiths] […], →OCLC, page 72

   Much was I disappointed upon learning that the little packet for Nantucket had already sailed, and that no way of reaching that place would offer, till the following Monday.

   1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 2, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 7

9. obsoleteTo make an attempt; typically used with at.

   I will not offer at that I cannot master.

   a. 1627 (date written), Francis [Bacon], “Considerations Touching a Warre with Spaine. […]”, in William Rawley, editor, Certaine Miscellany Works of the Right Honourable Francis Lo. Verulam, Viscount S. Alban. […], London: […] I. Hauiland for Humphrey Robinson, […], published 1629, →OCLC

   3 more examples

   He would be offering at the shepherd's voice.

   1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC

   [W]ithout offering at any other Remedy, without taking time to conſider the Conſequences, or to reflect on our own Condition, we haſtily engaged in a War which hath coſt us ſixty Millions; […]

   1711 December 8 (Gregorian calendar), [Jonathan Swift], The Conduct of the Allies, and of the Late Ministry, in Beginning and Carrying on the Present War, 4th edition, London: […] John Morphew […], published 1711, →OCLC, pages 19–20

   Here Jones, after expressing the utmost uneasiness, offered to stop her mouth:—“Hey-day! why sure, Mr Jones, you will let me speak; I speaks no scandal, for I only says what I heard from others […]

   1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC

10. transitiveTo put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive or defensive way; to threaten.

    to offer violence to somebody

    3 more examples

    The peasants offered no resistance as they were rounded up.

    A car turned the corner and stopped, and three or four people emerged and approached her, grabbing her purse. When she offered resistance, one of the assailants took out a knife and stabbed her in the lower abdomen and legs.

    1979 December 15, “Two Assaulted in Bay Village in Separate Incidents”, in Gay Community News, volume 7, number 21, page 3

    The Viet Cong and NVA tended to offer battle only when they felt that they held a tactical advantage – if they didn't they usually hunkered down in their nearly invisible bunkers and let the Americans pass.

    2013, Andrew Wiest, Vietnam: A View from the Front Lines, page 125

plural offers · alternative offre · alternative pronunciation spelling offa

1. agentagent noun of off

   Once you finally discover yourself a dismember-er, a de-limber, a fucking head-cutter-offer, the most simple of tasks — enjoying a long walk outside, seeing a movie, conversing with a stranger in the library — all become prized and over-inflated moments of elation.

   2003, James-Jason Gantt, Losing Summer, →ISBN, page 146

plural Offers

1. A surname.