Толковый словарь английского языка Oxford English Reference - auction

n. & v. --n. a sale of goods, usu. in public, in which articles are sold to the highest bidder. --v.tr. sell by auction. Phrases and idioms auction bridge 1 a form of bridge in which players bid for the right to name trumps. 2 the sequence of bids made at bridge. Dutch auction a sale, usu. public, of goods in which the price is reduced by the auctioneer until a buyer is found. Etymology: L auctio increase, auction f. augere auct- increase