Biddings

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɪdɪŋz/

Definitions

1. Orders or directives given to someone ; the act of formally asking or inviting someone to do something
2. Instructions or authoritative demands issued by a person ; the process of requesting someone to act in a certain way
3. Commands or authoritative statements directing action ; a solicitation or appeal requesting participation or compliance

Etymology: "Biddings" is the plural of "bidding," so it refers to several separate commands or requests rather than one. The noun "bidding" comes from the verb "bid," which in Old English was "biddan," meaning to ask, request, or command. That older sense of asking politely survives in the present-tense verb, so the noun carries the same core idea: a request that someone is expected to carry out. The plural form, which is less common than "bidding" on its own, tends to appear when someone is referring to a collection of such orders, as in "she followed her father's biddings without question."

Synonyms: offers, requests, commands