offer

Meanings

Noun

• A proposal that has been made.
• Something put forth, bid, proffered or tendered.
• An 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.
• agent noun of off

Verb

• To propose or express one's willingness (to do something).
• To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of; to suggest.
• To place at someone’s disposal; to present (something) to be either accepted or turned down.
• To present (something) to God or gods as a gesture of worship, or for a sacrifice.
• To place (something) in a position where it can be added to an existing mechanical assembly.
• To bid, as a price, reward, or wages.
• To happen, to present itself.
• To make an attempt; typically used with at.
• To put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive way; to threaten.

Origin

• From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian ("offer or make a sacrifice") rather than from Old French offre ("offer"), from offrir, from Latin offerō ("to present, bring before"). Compare North Frisian offer ("sacrifice, donation, fee"), Dutch offer ("offering, sacrifice"), German Opfer ("victim, sacrifice"), Danish offer ("victim, sacrifice"), Icelandic offr ("offering"). See verb below.
• 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"), from Latin ob + ferō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-, *bʰrē-, 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.
• off + -er