▪ I. offer, n.
(ˈɒfə(r))
Also 5–6 offre, 6 Sc. offir(r.
[a. F. offre (OF. ofre, 12th c. in Littré), vbl. n. f. offr-ir to offer. (The cognate Teut. langs. have a parallel formation from the vb. in the sense ‘offering, sacrifice’ (ON. offr, Sw., Da., Du. offer); but no analogous n. existed in OE.).]
1. a. An act of offering (see offer v. 3, 4); a holding forth or presenting for acceptance; an expression of intention or willingness to give or do something conditionally on the assent of the person addressed; a proposal.
| 1433 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 425/1 My said Lord of Bedford..made hem þerinne diverse faire overtures and offris. Ibid., Of the whiche his liberall offre þe said Lords þankid hym. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xii. 298 Sire, leve that offre that reynawde gyveth to you. 1590 Marlowe 2nd Pt. Tamburl. v. iii, There should not one..Live to give offer of another fight. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 546 If any of his subjects hath any precious stone of value, and make not him the offer of it, it is death to him. 1647 Hammond Power of Keys iv. 60 This magisteriall affirmation having no tender or offer of proof annext to it. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 89 ¶7 A virtuous Woman should reject the first Offer of Marriage. 1868 E. Edwards Ralegh I. xvi. 319 [He] had long been profuse in his offers of service. |
b. ellipt. A proposal of marriage.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VII 7 b, [She] there receaved a corporall othe of him to mary her eldest daughter, which offre she abode not by. 1619 T. Lorkin 4 May in Crt. & Times Jas. I (1848) II. 156, I would not wish any good offer for your niece should be refused, in hope of this. 1712–14 Pope Rape Lock i. 82 When offers are disdained, and love denyed. 1807–8 W. Irving Salmag. (1824) 144 It was owing to her never having had an offer. 1847 A. Brontë Agnes Grey xiv. 219 The conceited wretch chose to interpret my amiability of temper his own way, and at length..he actually—made me an offer! 1971 G. Mitchell Lament for Leto iv. 121 Ronald Dick..certainly would make me an offer if I were free. 1976 Scottish Rev. Spring 6 She had plenty of flames and several guid offers. |
c. The act of offering a price or equivalent for something; a bid.
| c 1550 Plumpton Corr. 257 For your hofer, it likes not; I shud a sold it, I truste, for 4s. or better. 1721 Swift South-Sea Project xx, When stock is high they come between, Making by secondhand their offers. 1890 Times 19 July 16/1 The proprietor does not bind himself to accept the highest or any offer. |
d. The condition of being offered; in Comm. the fact of being offered for sale, esp. at a low price, as sales promotion. on offer, on sale.
| 1794 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) III. 48 A chateau was in my offer on most eligible terms. 1881 Daily News 23 Aug. 3/6 (Market Report) Old wheat scarce and dear. Very little barley on offer. 1966 Listener 9 June 830/1 The cheaper and nastier Hollywood series, which are always on offer. 1967 Ibid. 1 June 704/1 Purchasing the most sophisticated weapons we have on offer. 1971 Woman's Own 27 Mar. 21 Next week..bargain vanity case offer. |
2. concr. That which is offered. a. Something presented in worship or devotion; an offering. Now rare or Obs.
| 1548 Gest Pr. Masse in H. G. Dugdale Life (1840) App. i. 72 No man must attempt to appear before him withoute hys offre, more or less. a 1586 Sidney (J.), Fair streams,..let the tribute offer of my tears procure your stay awhile. 1840 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life III. vii. 105 A tuft of flax to a Grecian bride Was ancient Hymen's offer. |
† b. Something presented for acceptance. rare.
| 1634 Milton Comus 702 Were it a draft for Juno when she banquets, I would not taste thy treasonous offer. |
c. An opportunity or ‘opening’. dial. or colloq.
| 1831 S. Lover Legends & Stories of Ireland 9 The first offer afther I make her as good as new. 1877 Coursing Calendar Autumn 1876 302 Napoleon went past Countess in the race to the hare, and..never gave his antagonist an offer. 1925 Dialect Notes V. 337 Offer, a chance (at seals). |
3. a. An attempt, an essay at doing something, or a show of this; the act of aiming at something, an aim. Now rare or Obs.
| 1581 Lambarde Eiren. i. iv. (1602) 19 To represse all intention of vproare & force..before that it should growe vp to any offer of danger. 1597 Bacon Coulers Good & Evill x. in Ess. (Arb.) 154 Many inceptions are..imperfect offers and essayes. 1683 Moxon Mech. Exerc., Printing xvii. ¶2 The right side..[is] too thick, and must by several offers be Filed away,..not all at once. 1705 Addison Italy 526 One sees in it a kind of Offer at Modern Architecture. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 118 ¶2 He had no sooner spoke these Words, but he made an Offer of throwing himself into the Water. 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy xv. 140 You'd make a fair offer at anything but an answer to your school-master. |
b. A knob or bud showing on a stag's antler.
| 1884 Jefferies Red Deer iv. 69 Little knobs appear on the beam like points about to grow, which are said to be ‘offers’, as if a point had offered to grow there. 1893 Athenæum 1 Apr. 400/2 A splendid red deer from Morena—with fourteen good points and an ‘offer’ or two. |
▪ II. offer, v.
(ˈɒfə(r))
Forms: 1–2 offrian, 2–3 offrien, 3 offren, (ofri, 4 offir, -yr, 4–5 -ire, 4–6 ofre, 5 offere), 4–7 offre, 4– offer.
[OE. offri-an = OFris. offria, offaria, OS. offrôn (MLG., MDu. offeren, LG. offern, Du. offeren), Icel., Sw. offra, Da. offre to offer a sacrifice; ad. L. offer-re to bring before, present, offer, bestow, inflict, in Vulg. and Christian L. to offer to God, offer sacrifice. In these last senses the L. verb was adopted with Christianity in OE. and the cognate langs. Meanwhile the more primary senses continued in F. offr-ir (ONFr. offr-er, Pr. offrir, Cat. oferir, It. offerire), and, after the Norman Conquest, gradually passed into Eng., sense 2 being a natural transition. With the exception of Dutch (? from Fr.) the other Teut. langs. retain only the sense ‘to offer in sacrifice’.]
1. a. trans. To present (something) to God (or to a deity, a saint, or the like) as an act of worship or devotion; to sacrifice; to give in worship. Also with up. Const. to or formerly with simple dative.
The object may be a material thing, as a slain animal, vegetable produce, incense, money, etc. (cf. offering vbl. n. 2); or, by extension, prayer, thanksgiving, etc.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxv. 15 Onseᵹdnisse merᵹlice ic ofriu ðe [L. holocausta medullata offeram tibi]. c 1000 ælfric Exod. xii. 6 And offrian eall Israhela folc þæt [lamb] on æfen. c 1000 ― Hom. II. 456 Hit wæs ᵹewunelic..þæt man Gode ðyllice lac offrode on cucan orfe. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 87 Heo sculden offrien of elchan hiwscipe gode an lomb. c 1200 Ormin 1003 And aȝȝ wass sallt wiþþ iwhillc lac Biforenn Drihhtin offredd. 1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. x. 20 Tho thingis that hethene men offren, thei offren to deuelis and not to God. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2881 He offert onestly in honour of Venus, A gobet of gold. 1463 Bury Wills (Camden) 27 The seid preests to haue jd. ob. to offre at the messe. 1550 Crowley Last Trump. 473 Christe was once offered for all, To satisfie for all our synne. 1602 Marston Antonio's Rev. iii. ii, I have a prayer or two to offer up. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 792 Then did he offer Incense to Vitzliputzli. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 159 ¶2 After having washed myself, and offered up my Morning Devotions. 1868 Tennyson Lucretius 69, I would not one of thine own doves, Not ev'n a rose, were offer'd to thee. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 311 Offer up a prayer with me and follow. |
b. absol. To present a sacrifice or offering; to sacrifice; to make a donation as an act of worship.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. i. xiv. §1 Mesiane noldon ðæt Læcedemonia mæᵹdenmenn mid heora ofreden. c 1000 ælfric Exod. v. 1 Forlæt min folc, þæt hit mæᵹe offrian me on þam westene. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 325 Brut..offrede to þis maumet & honoured it inow. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 197 And þe pore widwe for a peire of mytes, þan alle þo that offreden in-to gazafilacium. c 1400 Three Kings Cologne 133 All þe pepil..come & visitid hem and offrid to hem wiþ gret deuocioun. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lvii. 191 We..are goyng to offre at y⊇ holy sepulcre. 1548–9 Bk. Com. Prayer, H. Communion, Rubric, So many as are disposed, shall offer unto the poore mennes boxe. 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 92 Bannyans have repayred to offer here and to wash away their sinnes in Ganges. 1725 tr. Dupin's Eccl. Hist. 17th C. I. v. 139 When it is forbidden in the Canons to the Deacons to offer. 1893 G. L. Kittredge in Atlantic Monthly LXXII. 830/2 Those who offer to his relics and receive his absolution. |
† 2. a. gen. To give, present, make presentation of (spec. to a superior as an act of homage, etc.). Const. as in 1. Obs.
The first two quots. may be regarded as intermediate between 1 and 2, the purpose being religious.
| c 1122 O.E. Chron. an. 963 He nam up Sc̃a Kyneburh and S. Kynesuið..and S. Tibba..and brohte heom to Burch, and offrede heom eall S. Peter on an dæi. Ibid. an. 1013 ælfsiᵹe..bohte..sc̃e Florentines lichaman, eall buton þe heafod, to .v. hundred punda, &..offrede hit Crist & sc̃e Peter. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3619 Ðis folc..Offreden him siluer and golde..He it bi-taȝte besseleel. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 4554 When þis grete lordynges Seyen Cesar ofre þem swylke þynges. 1411 Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/2 Offre yow v c. mark to ben paied at youre will. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV 239 That all his heyres..should offer a hart of lyke weight and value, as a releve and homage done. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 193 To sweare unto him homage and fealtie, the which every one..did willyngly offer. |
b. absol. To give something as a present.
| 1671 L. Addison West Barbary 186 The Negro's likewise call every one by name who Offer, saying Fulano (or such an one) lays on so much. |
3. a. To present or tender for acceptance or refusal; to hold out (a thing) to a person to take if he will. (The prevailing sense.) Const. indirect (dat.) and direct obj., or direct obj. and to, † unto: either obj. may be the subject of the passive voice: ‘the place was offered to him’, or ‘he was offered the place’.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxiii. (George) 322 Þe king þane ane infinite Of gret tresore gert offerit be To george. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) viii. 83 Thei offren hem to do alle, that the berere askethe. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. V 49 b, To inquyre what raunsome he wold offre. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 383 Nay, I haue offred all, I haue no more, And she can haue no more then all I haue. 1611 Bible 2 Sam. xxiv. 12, I offer thee three things; chuse thee one of them. 1665 Manley Grotius' Low C. Warres 43 He offered himself as a Peacemaker between them. 1791 Mrs. Radcliffe Rom. Forest ix, I cannot accept the honour you offer me. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. vi. II. 116 One of the ringleaders..was offered a pardon if he would own that Queensberry had set him on. 1875 J. W. Dawson Dawn of Life Pref. 7, I offer no apology. |
b. with dat., and inf. as direct obj.
(The object being what the person is permitted to do or have.)
| 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 34 He offered her faithfully to haue remission, and that the Infant Mogull out of his clemency should forget all former Quarrels. 1654 D. Osborne Lett. (1888) 263 If he offers me to stay here, this hole will be more agreeable to my humour than any place that is more in the world. 1939 C. Morley Kitty Foyle 328, I offered him to go in the bathroom to wash. |
† c. with obj. clause. To make the proposal, suggest (that something be done). Obs.
| 1660 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 21 Some offerd..that onely the lands ‘in capite’, which receive the benefit, should be taxed with the revenue. 1727 Pope, etc. Art of Sinking 114 It is therefore humbly offered, that all and every individual of the bathos do enter into a firm association. |
d. absol. To make an offer or proposal; to make an offer of marriage, to ‘propose’.
| 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, v. i. 114 We offer faire, take it aduisedly. Prin. It will not be accepted. 1847 Tennyson Princ. iii. 143, I offer boldly: we will seat you highest. 1852 R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour i. 2 He never hesitated about offering to a lady, after a three days' acquaintance. |
e. Comm. To present for sale.
| 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 25, I understand that your Steward hath offered to sale your goods. 1741 Middleton Cicero I. v. 370 A particular estate..which she was now offering to sale. 1899 Daily News 29 May 10/5 Short attendance and very little wheat offering. |
f. In to offer battle, etc. there is perh. some connexion with sense 5.
| 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 64 So great a number of ennemies are assembled to offer battell. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 218 To keepe off Fortune furiously offering the combate. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. v. ii. 162, I am asham'd that women are so simple, To offer warre, where they should kneele for peace. 1839 Thirlwall Greece li. VI. 239 Darius..was about to meet him and to offer battle. |
g. refl. To present (oneself) to a person for acceptance or refusal; to put (oneself) forward, spec. as a suitor.
| 1765 H. Walpole Castle of Otranto i. 18 In short, Isabella, since I cannot give you my son [in marriage], I offer you myself. 1893 M. E. Mann In Summer Shade II. xi. 28, I have this evening offered myself to Mary Burne, and she has accepted me. 1903 Eng. Dial. Dict. IV. 332/2 He did nothing but offer himself for her for so long as she lived. 1930 G. B. Shaw Apple Cart ii. 75 It is my intention to offer myself to the Royal Borough of Windsor as a candidate at the forthcoming General Election. 1978 I. Murdoch The Sea, The Sea 436 Charles, darling, tell me... When you came here today were you going to offer yourself to me? |
† h. intr. To stand as a candidate for office. Obs.
| 1766 J. Wedgwood Let. 4 June (1965) 40 Some of our friends suspected a Candidate would offer who lived at too great a distance from the centre of the business. 1803 W. R. Davie Let. 20 Aug. in J. Steele Papers (1924) I. 405 The Gentlemen who prevailed upon me ‘to offer’ as they call it, consisted principally of the moderate men of both parties. 1835 A. B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes 234 Then lowering his voice to a confidential but distinctly audible tone, ‘what you offering for?’ continued he. |
i. trans. With spoken words as object: to say tentatively or helpfully.
| 1881 M. Crommelin Miss Daisy Dimity I. ii. 32 ‘There are two hens to be set with Brahma eggs this morning, and a brood of young Cochins coming out,’ offered Polly hesitatingly. 1894 ‘R. Andom’ We Three & Troddles iv. 21 ‘A coffee-mill,’ suggested Wilks. ‘Or a sewing machine,’ I offered. 1973 J. Rossiter Manipulators v. 51 ‘Perhaps,’ Bradley offered helpfully, ‘you've been name-calling somebody. And they didn't like it.’ 1974 ‘E. Lathen’ Sweet & Low v. 52 ‘Just like civil war in Nigeria,’ offered Charlie sagely. |
j. Telephony. To direct (a call) to a piece of apparatus.
| 1950 J. Atkinson Herbert & Procter's Telephony (new ed.) II. ii. 33/2 It is readily possible to read off the traffic offered to any particular contact for any value of total traffic. 1960 R. Syski Introd. Congestion Theory Teleph. Syst. v. 194 The N sources originate calls which are offered to R channels. 1960 Post Office Electr. Engineers' Jrnl. LIII. 76/2 This form of control will facilitate the provision of automatic alternative routing, which will permit traffic to be offered to a direct route and then, if all circuits are engaged, to overflow to the transit network. |
4. with inf. To propose, or express one's readiness (to do something), conditionally on the assent of the person addressed.
| 1433 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 425/1 My said Lord of Bedford..offerd and agreed hym to serve þe Kyng. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lix. 203 He offeryth to make amendes. 1588 Hunsdon in Border Papers (1894) I. 306, I..did offer to send Sir John Selby and towe others to confer with them. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 185 They have too great plenty, and offred to sell us some. 1724 De Foe Mem. Cavalier (1840) 270, I offered to go to the king. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. i. 15 He had offered to accompany her to Belton. |
5. a. To make an attempt to inflict, deal, or bring to bear (violence, or injury of any kind); to put forth one's effort to make (attack, resistance).
| 1530 Palsgr. 646/1 Every man offerith hym wronge. c 1590 Marlowe Faust. x, For the injury he offered me here in your presence. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, iv. i. 211 That hath enrag'd him on, to offer strokes. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage (1614) 708 [They] avenged themselves for such wrongs as by the Turkes..had beene formerly offered them. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxviii. III. 84 The insults which he offered to an ancient chapel of Bacchus. 1863 P. Barry Dockyard Econ. 202 Offering..serious resistance from the forts and batteries. |
b. with inf. To make an attempt or show of intention (to do something); to essay, try, endeavour. (In early use sometimes nearly = to venture, dare, presume, have the hardihood.)
| 1540–1 Elyot Image Gov. 29 After that the emperour had concluded in this wise his reson, there was no man offred to reply thereto. a 1553 Udall Royster D. iii. v. (Arb.) 58, I knocke your costarde if ye offer to strike me. 1613 Jackson Creed ii. xxx. §17 Heauing and offering with might and maine to get out. 1656 Bp. Hall Breath. Devout Soul (1851) 201, I may not offer to look into the bosoms of men, which thou hast reserved for thyself. 1703 Moxon Mech. Exerc. 37 You should not offer to cut the Grooves to their full width at the first. 1865 Trollope Belton Est. xxiv. 284 He did not offer to kiss her. |
c. intr. with at: To make an attempt at or upon; to aim at. Now rare or Obs.
| 1611 B. Jonson Catiline ii. i. (Rtldg.) 278/1 Offering at wit too? why, Galla, Where hast thou been? 1649 Milton Eikon. Pref., This Man, who hath offer'd at more cunning fetches to undermine our Liberties..then any British King before him. 1683 Burnet tr. More's Utopia (1684) 36 The Jests at which he offered were so cold and dull. 1687 ― Trav. iii. (1750) 169, I will not offer at a Description of the glorious Chapel. 1701 W. Wotton Hist. Rome, Alexander iii. 521 Several offer'd at the Empire during his time, who came to nothing. 1847 Mrs. Carlyle Lett. II. 3 He did not offer at coming in. |
† 6. intr. To incline, tend in some direction; to have an inclination or disposition to. Obs.
| 1639 Fuller Holy War iv. xiv. (1840) 203 They suspected him to be unsound in his religion, and offering to Christianity. Ibid. v. xxv. (1840) 28 We find some straggling rays and beams of valour offering that way. |
7. a. trans. To bring forward or put forth for consideration, to propound. (In quots. 1634, 1638, To ‘give’, let one have; to mention or cite by way of example.)
| 1583 Burleigh Let. to Whitgift in Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. v. §9 But now they coming to me, I offer how your Grace proceeded with them. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 43, I will offer you a little of the Arabian Tongue as is more spoken in that Countrey. 1638 Ibid. (ed. 2) 232 The rest I offer not, this in my conceit sufficing. 1710 Prideaux Orig. Tithes v. 316 When all that I have offered hath been duly considered. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) I. 524 We shall offer a few thoughts hereafter on this part of Harmony. Mod. On this I wish to offer a few remarks. |
b. To put (a part of a structure, etc.) in place to see how it looks or whether it fits properly; to hold up or display (something) to test its appearance or correctness. Usu. const. up (occas. on). orig. dial.
| 1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northamptonshire Words II. 73 One of his workmen said, ‘Shall I offer up, or offer on, that frame, to see if it will fit the picture?’ 1887 Parish & Shaw Dict. Kentish Dial. 110, I once heard a master paper⁓hanger say to his assistant, when a customer was inspecting some wall-papers, ‘Just offer this paper up for the lady to see.’ 1903 Eng. Dial. Dict. IV. 332/2, I will offer the shrubs before planting them. 1952 Granville Dict. Theatr. Terms 125 Offer up, to show the producer the position of a picture or an ornament for approval before fixing it permanently, particularly mirrors which reflect the stage lighting. (2) Carpenters offer up doorways to fit into the door-frames, in fact they offer up anything before it is approved. The term is used by carpenters outside the theatre and is peculiar to their trade. |
8. a. Of a thing: To present (to sight, notice, etc.); to furnish, afford, give.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 44 Sundrie circumstances which offered them selves to my judgement. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 56 A gravelly Forest with tall benty Grass, offers, besides its taking Look, diversity of Game. 1729 Butler Pref. Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 5 It is scarce possible to avoid judging..of almost every thing which offers itself to one's thoughts. 1834 M. Somerville Connex. Phys. Sc. iv. (1835) 42 Their motions offer the singular phenomenon of being retrograde. 1892 Westcott Gospel of Life 41 Each age offers its characteristic riddles. |
b. intr. for refl. To present itself; to occur.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 57 There offereth to our eie, first the towne Nicæa. 1696 Lond. Gaz. No. 3222/3 If the Wind and Weather offer for his Embarking. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 631 Th' Occasion offers, and the Youth complies. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 4 ¶1, I..shall take any Thing that offers for the Subject of my Discourse. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas i. x. ¶8 Taking the first path that offered, we soon galloped out of the forest. 1891 A. H. Craufurd Gen. Craufurd & Light Division 7 He..distinguished himself wherever an occasion offered. |