The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bid \Bid\ (b[i^]d), v. t. [imp. Bade (b[a^]d), Bid, (Obs.)
   Bad; p. p. Bidden, Bid; p. pr. & vb. n. Bidding.]
   [OE. bidden, prop to ask, beg, AS. biddan; akin to OS.
   biddian, Icel. bi[eth]ja, OHG. bittan, G. bitten, to pray,
   ask, request, and E. bead, also perh. to Gr. teiqein to
   persuade, L. fidere to trust, E. faith, and bide. But this
   word was early confused with OE. beden, beoden, AS.
   be['o]dan, to offer, command; akin to Icel. bj[=o][eth]a,
   Goth. biudan (in comp.), OHG. biotan to command, bid, G.
   bieten, D. bieden, to offer, also to Gr. pynqa`nesqai to
   learn by inquiry, Skr. budh to be awake, to heed, present
   OSlav. bud[=e]ti to be awake, E. bode, v. The word now has
   the form of OE. bidden to ask, but the meaning of OE. beden
   to command, except in "to bid beads." [root]30.]
   [1913 Webster]
   1. To make an offer of; to propose. Specifically : To offer
      to pay ( a certain price, as for a thing put up at
      auction), or to take (a certain price, as for work to be
      done under a contract).
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To offer in words; to declare, as a wish, a greeting, a
      threat, or defiance, etc.; as, to bid one welcome; to bid
      good morning, farewell, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

            Neither bid him God speed.            --2. John 10.
      [1913 Webster]

            He bids defiance to the gaping crowd. --Granrille.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To proclaim; to declare publicly; to make known. [Mostly
      obs.] "Our banns thrice bid !" --Gay.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To order; to direct; to enjoin; to command.
      [1913 Webster]

            That Power who bids the ocean ebb and flow. --Pope
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            Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee. --Matt.
                                                  xiv. 28
      [1913 Webster]

            I was bid to pick up shells.          --D. Jerrold.
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   5. To invite; to call in; to request to come.
      [1913 Webster]

            As many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
                                                  --Matt. xxii.
                                                  9
      [1913 Webster]

   To bid beads, to pray with beads, as the Roman Catholics;
      to distinguish each bead by a prayer. [Obs.]

   To bid defiance to, to defy openly; to brave.

   To bid fair, to offer a good prospect; to make fair
      promise; to seem likely.
      [1913 Webster]

   Syn: To offer; proffer; tender; propose; order; command;
        direct; charge; enjoin.
        [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Bidding \Bid"ding\, n.
   1. Command; order; a proclamation or notifying. "Do thou thy
      master's bidding." --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. The act or process of making bids; an offer; a proposal of
      a price, as at an auction.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

bidding
    n 1: an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
         [syn: command, bid, bidding, dictation]
    2: a request to be present; "they came at his bidding" [syn:
       bidding, summons]
    3: (bridge) the number of tricks a bridge player is willing to
       contract to make [syn: bid, bidding]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

40 Moby Thesaurus words for "bidding":
   beck, beck and call, behest, bid, biddance, call, calling,
   calling forth, charge, command, commandment, convocation, demand,
   dictate, dictation, direct order, direction, engraved invitation,
   evocation, hest, imperative, indent, injunction, instruction,
   invitation, invite, invocation, mandate, nod, order, pleasure,
   preconization, requisition, say-so, special order, summoning,
   summons, will, word, word of command