2 → see also bidding SYNONYMS bid NOUN ➊1
attempt: …a deliberate attempt to destabilize the defence.
try: After a few tries, Patrick had given up any attempt to reform his brother.
effort: He made no effort to hide his disappointment.
bid|den /b I d ə n/ Bidden is a past participle of bid .
bid|der /b I də r / (bidders )
1 N‑COUNT A bidder is someone who offers to pay a certain amount of money for something that is being sold. If you sell something to the highest bidder , you sell it to the person who offers the most money for it. □ The sale will be made to the highest bidder subject to a reserve price being attained.
2 N‑COUNT A bidder for something is someone who is trying to obtain it or do it. □ [+ for ] French accountancy firms will become eager bidders for a share of the British market.
bid|ding /b I d I ŋ/
1 PHRASE If you do something at someone's bidding , you do it because they have asked you to do it. [FORMAL ] □ At his bidding, the delegates rose and sang the national anthem.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone does another person's bidding , you disapprove of the fact that they do exactly what the other person asks them to do, even when they do not want to. [FORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ She is very clever at getting men to do her bidding!
3 → see also bid ➋
bid|dy /b I di/ (biddies ) N‑COUNT If someone describes an old woman as an old biddy , they are saying in an unkind way that they think she is silly or unpleasant. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ We're not just a lot of old biddies going on about jam.
bide /ba I d/ (bides , biding , bided ) PHRASE If you bide your time , you wait for a good opportunity before doing something. □ He was content to bide his time patiently, waiting for the opportunity to approach her.
bi|det /biː de I , [AM ] biːde I / (bidets ) N‑COUNT A bidet is a low fixed container in a bathroom which you can use to wash your bottom.
bi d price (bid prices ) N‑COUNT The bid price of a particular stock or share is the price that investors are willing to pay for it. [BUSINESS ] □ Speculation centred on a likely bid price of 380p a share.
bi|en|nial /ba I e niəl/ (biennials ) ADJ [ADJ n] A biennial event happens or is done once every two years. □ …the biennial Commonwealth conference.
biff /b I f/ (biffs , biffing , biffed ) VERB If you biff someone, you hit them with your fist. [INFORMAL , OLD-FASHIONED ]
bi|fo|cals /ba I foʊ k ə lz/ The form bifocal is used as a modifier. N‑PLURAL Bifocals are glasses with lenses made in two halves. The top part is for looking at things some distance away, and the bottom part is for reading and looking at things that are close. □ Mrs Bierce wears thick bifocal lenses.
bi|fur|cate /ba I fɜːke I t/ (bifurcates , bifurcating , bifurcated ) VERB If something such as a line or path bifurcates or is bifurcated , it divides into two parts which go in different directions. □ [V ] A single furrow may bifurcate and form a letter Y. [Also V n] ● bi|fur|ca|tion /ba I fɜːke I ʃən/ (bifurcations ) N‑VAR □ [+ between ] …the bifurcation between high art and popular culture.
big ◆◆◆ /b I g/ (bigger , biggest )
1 ADJ A big person or thing is large in physical size. □ Australia's a big country. □ Her husband was a big man. □ The car was too big to fit into our garage.
2 ADJ Something that is big consists of many people or things. □ The crowd included a big contingent from Ipswich. □ …the big backlog of applications.
3 ADJ If you describe something such as a problem, increase, or change as a big one, you mean it is great in degree, extent, or importance. □ The problem was just too big for her to tackle on her own. □ There could soon be a big increase in unemployment.
4 ADJ A big organization employs many people and has many customers. □ Exchange is largely controlled by big banks. □ …one of the biggest companies in Italy.
5 ADJ [ADJ n] If you say that someone is big in a particular organization, activity, or place, you mean that they have a lot of influence or authority in it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ in ] Their father was very big in the army. □ I'm sure all the big names will come to the club.
6 ADJ [ADJ n] If you call someone a big bully or a big coward, you are emphasizing your disapproval of them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ]
7 ADJ [ADJ n] Children often refer to their older brother or sister as their big brother or sister.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] Capital letters are sometimes referred to as big letters. [INFORMAL ] □ …a big letter J.
9 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Big words are long or rare words which have meanings that are difficult to understand. [INFORMAL ] □ They use a lot of big words.
10 PHRASE If you make it big , you become successful or famous. [INFORMAL ] □ We're not just looking at making it big in the U.K., we want to be big internationally.
11 PHRASE If you think big , you make plans on a large scale, often using a lot of time, effort, or money. □ Maybe we're not thinking big enough.