a public sale in which goods or property are sold to the highest bidder 拍卖 the books are expected to fetch a six-figure sum at tomorrow's auction. 那些书有望在明天拍卖时卖到六位数的价钱。 [as modifier]an auction sale. 拍卖会。 ■[mass noun]the action or process of selling something in this way 拍卖活动(过程) the Ferrari sold at auction for £10 million. Ferrari在拍卖中以1,000万英镑成交。 ■(Bridge)the part of the play in which players bid to decide the contract in which the hand shall be played (桥牌)叫牌;叫牌阶段
verb
[with obj.](常作 be auctioned)sell or offer for sale at an auction 拍卖 his collection of vintage cars is to be auctioned off tomorrow. 他收藏的老式汽车明天将被全部拍卖。
常用词组 on the auction block
see on the block at block 见 block 条 on the block
语源
late 16th cent.: from Latin auctio(n-) 'increase, auction', from the verb augere 'to increase'