bid, or bade; pp. bid, bidden. [L. peto, to drive at, to attack, to ask, to desire, to beseech, anciently beto; impetus. Applied to the voice, it denotes utterance, a driving of sounds, which is applied to asking, prayer, and command. Class Bd.]

1. To ask; to request; to invite.

Go ye into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. Matthew 22:9.

This sense is antiquated, but we have the same word from the Latin, in invite, [in and bid.]

2. To command; to order or direct.

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come to thee on the water. Matthew 14:28.

3. To offer; to propose; as, to bid a price at an auction.

4. To proclaim; to make known by a public voice.

Our bans thrice bid.

5. To pronounce or declare; as, to bid a welcome.

6. To denounce, or threaten; as, to bid defiance.

7. To wish or pray.

Neither bid him good speed. 2 John 10.

To bid beads, is to pray with beads, as the Catholics; to distinguish each bead by a prayer.

Also, to charge parishioners to say a number of paternosters.

To bid fair, is to open or offer a good prospect; to appear fair.