proffer

• proffre (obsolete)

From Middle English profren, from Old French proffrir, poroffrir, from por- + offrir (“offer”), from Latin pro (for, in front of) + offerre (“to carry forward”), from ob- (“to, toward”) + ferre (“to bring”).

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒf.ə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US)

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• Rhymes: -ɒfə(r)

proffer (plural proffers)

1. An offer made; something proposed for acceptance by another; a tender
   • 1882, George Bernard Shaw, Cashel Byron's Profession Chapter 13

     "how, if you tell him this, will you make him understand that I say so as an act of justice, and not in the least as a proffer of affection?"

   • 1828, Walter Scott, The Fair Maid of Perth Chapter 2

     Her father, on his part, called out frankly, as he saw his friend's hesitation: "Her lips, man — her lips! and that's a proffer I would not make to every one who crosses my threshold. But, by good St. Valentine, whose holyday will dawn tomorrow, I am so glad to see thee in the bonny city of Perth again that it would be hard to tell the thing I could refuse thee."

2. (law) Something that is offered into evidence; an offer to which one is willing to testify under oath.
   • December 29, 2015, Carol Vaughn in Delmarva Now, Atlantic Town Center lawsuit goes before a judge

     He said a reversionary proffer — saying the property would revert to its prior zoning if certain benchmarks were not met by the developers — was brought up in a conceptual discussion in a pre-application meeting in May 2014 with the developers, but did not progress beyond that.

3. Essay; attempt.

• proffer payment

proffer (third-person singular simple present proffers, present participle proffering, simple past and past participle proffered)

1. To offer for acceptance; to propose to give; to make a tender of

   to proffer a gift

   to proffer services

   to proffer friendship

   • 1922, William Hickling Prescott, The Conquest of Mexico Volume 1, Book 3, Chapter 3

     They were to assure the strangers of a free passage through the country, and a friendly reception in the capital. The proffered friendship of the Spaniards was cordially embraced, with many awkward excuses for the past. The envoys were to touch at the Tlascalan camp on their way, and inform Xicotencatl of their proceedings. They were to require him, at the same time, to abstain from all further hostilities, and to furnish the white men with an ample supply of provisions.

   • 1823, James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers

     The ministry proffered various civil offices which yielded not only honor but profit; but he declined them all, with the chivalrous independence and loyalty that had marked his character through life.

2. To essay or attempt of one’s own accord; to undertake, or propose to undertake.
   • 1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost

     Astonisht: none among the choice and prime
     Of those Heav’n-warring Champions could be found
     So hardie as to proffer or accept

• profer

• proffer in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• proffer in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• proffer at OneLook Dictionary Search

• proffre

proffer m

1. indefinite plural of proff