offer
verbEtymology From Middle English offren, offrien. In the religious senses inherited from Old English offrian (“to offer, sacrifice, bring an oblation”); otherwise from Old French ofrir. Both ultimately from Latin offerō (“to present, bestow, bring before”, literally “to bring to”), from Latin ob + ferō (“bring, carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”), later reinforced by Old French offrir (“to offer”). Cognate with Old Frisian offria (“to offer”), Old Dutch offrōn (“to offer”), German opfern (“to offer”), Old Norse offra (“to offer”). More at ob-, bear.
11 senses
- 1To propose or express one's willingness (to do something).
- 2To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of…
- 3To place at someone’s disposal; to present (something)…
- 4To present (something) for sale.
- 5To present (something) to God or gods, as a gesture of…
- 6To present (something) to the sight etc.; to provide for…
- 7To place (something) in a position where it can be added…
- 8To bid, as a price, reward, or wages.
- 9To happen, to present itself.
- 10To make an attempt; typically used with at.
- 11To put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive or…
To propose or express one's willingness (to do something).
- She offered to help with her homework.
To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of; to suggest.
- Everybody offered an opinion.
To place at someone’s disposal; to present (something) to be either accepted or turned down.
- He offered use of his car for the week.
- He offered his good will for the Councilman's vote.
2 more examples
- 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:
To present (something) for sale.
To 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:
Of a thing To present (something) to the sight etc.; to provide for use, consideration etc.
- The city offers beautiful architecture.
Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences To 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:
To bid, as a price, reward, or wages.
- I offered twenty dollars for it. The company is offering a salary of £30,000 a year.
To 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:
- The opportunity however did not offer till next morning, for Phœbe did not come to bed till long after I was gone to ſleep: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:
1 more example
- 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:
Obsolete To 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:
- 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:
2 more examples
- [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:
To put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive or defensive way; to threaten.
- to offer violence to somebody
- The peasants offered no resistance as they were rounded up.
2 more examples
- 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:
- Derived terms
- offerable, offer affordances, offer a knee, offeree, offerer, offer one's condolences, offeror, offer the light, offer up, reoffer