Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To present for acceptance or rejection; proffer.
  • intransitive verb To put forward for consideration; propose.
  • intransitive verb To present in order to meet a need or satisfy a requirement.
  • intransitive verb To present as an act of worship.
  • intransitive verb To propose as payment; bid.
  • intransitive verb To make available; afford.
  • intransitive verb To present for sale.
  • intransitive verb To provide; furnish.
  • intransitive verb To exhibit readiness or desire (to do something); volunteer.
  • intransitive verb To engage in; put up.
  • intransitive verb To threaten.
  • intransitive verb To produce or introduce on the stage.
  • intransitive verb To present an offering in worship or devotion.
  • intransitive verb To make an offer or proposal, especially of marriage.
  • intransitive verb To present itself.
  • intransitive verb Baseball To swing at a pitch. Used of a batter.
  • noun The act of offering.
  • noun Something, such as a suggestion, proposal, bid, or recommendation, that is offered.
  • noun Law A proposal that if accepted constitutes a legally binding contract.
  • noun The condition of being offered, especially for sale.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To bring or put forward; present to notice; hold out to notice or for acceptance; present: sometimes used reflexively.
  • To present for acceptance or rejection; tender or make tender of; hence, to bid or tender as a price: as, to offer ten dollars for a thing.
  • To present solemnly, or as an act of worship: often with up: as, to offer up a prayer; to offer sacrifices; hence, to sacrifice; immolate.
  • To expose for sale.
  • To propose to give or to do; proffer; volunteer; show a disposition or declare a willingness to do (something): as, to offer help; to offer battle.
  • To attempt to do; set about doing (something) to or against one; attempt; make a show of doing (something): as, to offer violence or resistance; to offer an insult.
  • Synonyms and Adduce, Allege, Assign, etc. (see adduce), exhibit, extend, hold out, furnish, give, propound, propose, show, move.
  • To present itself; come into view or be at hand: as, an opportunity now offers.
  • To present or make an offering; offer up prayer, thanks, etc.; present a eucharistic oblation.
  • To present one's self in order to pay court or respects; pay one's respects.
  • To act on the offensive; deal a blow.
  • noun The act of presenting to notice or for acceptance, or that which is brought forward or presented to notice or for acceptance; a proposal made and submitted: as, his offer of protection was declined; to receive an offer of marriage.
  • noun The act of bidding or proposing to give a price or to do for a price, or the sum bid; a tender or proposal to give or do something for a specified equivalent, or for something in return: as, no offer of less than a dollar will be received; he made an offer for the building of the bridge.
  • noun Attempt; endeavor; essay; show; pretense.
  • noun An offering; something presented by way of sacrifice or of acknowledgment.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The act of offering, bringing forward, proposing, or bidding; a proffer; a first advance.
  • noun That which is offered or brought forward; a proposal to be accepted or rejected; a sum offered; a bid.
  • noun Attempt; endeavor; essay.
  • transitive verb To present, as an act of worship; to immolate; to sacrifice; to present in prayer or devotion; -- often with up.
  • transitive verb To bring to or before; to hold out to; to present for acceptance or rejection
  • transitive verb To present in words; to proffer; to make a proposal of; to suggest. With the infinitive as an objective: To make an offer; to declare one's willingness.
  • transitive verb To attempt; to undertake.
  • transitive verb To bid, as a price, reward, or wages
  • transitive verb To put in opposition to; to manifest in an offensive way; to threaten
  • intransitive verb To present itself; to be at hand.
  • intransitive verb To make an attempt; to make an essay or a trial; -- used with at.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To present (something) to God as a gesture of worship, or for a sacrifice.
  • verb transitive To place (something) in a position where it can be added to an existing mechanical assembly.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English offren, from Old English offrian, to present in worship, and from Old French offrir, to propose, present, both from Latin offerre, to present, offer : ob-, to; see ob– + ferre, to bring; see bher- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English offren, offrien, from Old English offrian ("to offer, sacrifice, bring an oblation"), from Latin offerō ("to present, bestow, bring before", literally "to bring to"), from Latin ob + ferō ("bring, carry"), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-, *bʰrē- (“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.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

off +‎ -er

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English offer, from Old French offre ("offer"), from offrir ("to offer"), 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.

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