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Offer

 - 5 dictionary results

of⋅fer

[aw-fer, of-er]
–verb (used with object)
1. to present for acceptance or rejection; proffer: He offered me a cigarette.
2. to propose or put forward for consideration: to offer a suggestion.
3. to propose or volunteer (to do something): She offered to accompany me.
4. to make a show of intention (to do something): We did not offer to go first.
5. to give, make, or promise: She offered no response.
6. to present solemnly as an act of worship or devotion, as to God, a deity or a saint; sacrifice.
7. to present for sale: He offered the painting to me at a reduced price.
8. to tender or bid as a price: to offer ten dollars for a radio.
9. to attempt or threaten to do, engage in, or inflict: to offer battle.
10. to put forth; exert: to offer resistance.
11. to present to sight or notice.
12. to introduce or present for exhibition or performance.
13. to render (homage, thanks, etc.).
14. to present or volunteer (oneself) to someone as a spouse.
–verb (used without object)
15. to present itself; occur: Whenever an opportunity offered, he slipped off to town.
16. to present something as an act of worship or devotion; sacrifice.
17. to make a proposal or suggestion.
18. to suggest oneself to someone for marriage; propose.
19. Archaic. to make an attempt (fol. by at).
–noun
20. an act or instance of offering: an offer of help.
21. the condition of being offered: an offer for sale.
22. something offered.
23. a proposal or bid to give or pay something as the price of something else; bid: an offer of $90,000 for the house.
24. Law. a proposal that requires only acceptance in order to create a contract.
25. an attempt or endeavor.
26. a show of intention.
27. a proposal of marriage.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME offren, OE offrian to present in worship < L offerre, equiv. to of- of- + ferre to bring, bear 1


of⋅fer⋅a⋅ble, adjective
of⋅fer⋅er, of⋅fer⋅or, noun


1. Offer, proffer, tender mean to present for acceptance or refusal. Offer is a common word in general use for presenting something to be accepted or rejected: to offer assistance. Proffer, with the same meaning, is now chiefly a literary word: to proffer one's services. Tender (no longer used in reference to concrete objects) is a ceremonious term for a more or less formal or conventional act: to tender one's resignation. 2. give, move, propose.


1. withdraw, withhold. 20. refusal, denial.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To Offer
of·fer   (ô'fər, ŏf'ər)   
v.   of·fered, of·fer·ing, of·fers

v.   tr.
  1. To present for acceptance or rejection; proffer: offered me a drink.

    1. To put forward for consideration; propose: offer an opinion.

    2. To present in order to meet a need or satisfy a requirement: offered new statistics in order to facilitate the decision-making process.

    3. To make available; afford: The situation offers us the opportunity to learn more.

    4. To present for sale.

    5. To provide; furnish: a hotel that offers conference facilities.

    1. To make available; afford: The situation offers us the opportunity to learn more.

    2. To present for sale.

    3. To provide; furnish: a hotel that offers conference facilities.

  2. To propose as payment; bid.

  3. To present as an act of worship: offer up prayers.

  4. To exhibit readiness or desire (to do something); volunteer: offered to carry the packages.

  5. To put up; mount: partisans who offered strong resistance to the invaders.

  6. To threaten: offered to leave without them if they didn't hurry.

  7. To produce or introduce on the stage: The repertory group is offering two new plays this season.

v.   intr.
  1. To present an offering in worship or devotion.

  2. To make an offer or proposal, especially of marriage.

  3. To present itself: "This plan was dropped, because of its risk, and because a better offered" (T.E. Lawrence).

n.  
  1. The act of offering: an offer of assistance.

  2. Something, such as a suggestion, proposal, bid, or recommendation, that is offered.

  3. Law A proposal that if accepted constitutes a legally binding contract.

  4. The condition of being offered, especially for sale: thousands of bushels of wheat on offer.

    1. An attempt; a try.

    2. A show of intention.


[Middle English offren, from Old English offrian, to present in worship, and from Old French offrir, to propose, present, both from Latin offerre, to present, offer : ob-, to; see ob- + ferre, to bring; see bher-1 in Indo-European roots.]
of'fer·er, of'fer·or n.
Synonyms: These verbs mean to put before another for acceptance or rejection. Offer is the basic general term in this group: offered us some tea; a store that offered sizable discounts.
Proffer implies voluntary action motivated especially by courtesy or generosity: "Mr. van der Luyden . . . proffered to Newland low-voiced congratulations" (Edith Wharton).
To tender is to offer formally: tendered her respects; tendered my resignation.
Present suggests formality and often a measure of ceremony: "A footman entered, and presented . . . some mail on a silver tray" (Winston Churchill).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

offer  (v.)
O.E. ofrian, from L. offerre "to present, bestow, bring before" (in L.L. "to present in worship"), from ob "to" + ferre "to bring, to carry" (see infer). Non-religious sense reinforced by O.Fr. offrir "to offer," from L. offerre. The noun is first recorded 1433, from O.Fr. offre (12c.), verbal noun from offrir. The native noun formation is offering (O.E. offrung), verbal noun from offrian.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Financial Dictionary

offer

See ask.

Wall Street Words: An A to Z Guide to Investment Terms by David L. Scott.
Copyright © 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: of·fer
Pronunciation: 'o-f&r
Function: noun
1 : a proposal, promise, or other manifestation of willingness to make and fulfill a contract or to bargain under proposed terms with another party that has the power to accept it upon receiving it offer> —see also REVOKE, TENDER OFFER
2 : a price named by one proposing to buy (as in a bid, bargain, or settlement) : the amount of an offer to pay money offer was too low> —offer verb
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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