Dictionary
trade
Pronunciation: (trād), [key]
—n., v., trad•ed, trad•ing,
—adj.
—
n.
1. the act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities, at either wholesale or retail, within a country or between countries:
domestic trade; foreign trade.
2. a purchase or sale; business deal or transaction.
3. an exchange of items, usually without payment of money.
4. any occupation pursued as a business or livelihood.
5. some line of skilled manual or mechanical work; craft:
the trade of a carpenter; printer's trade.
6. people engaged in a particular line of business:
a lecture of interest only to the trade.
7. market:
an increase in the tourist trade.
8. a field of business activity:
a magazine for the furniture trade.
9. the customers of a business establishment.
10. Informal.See
trade paper.
11. trades.See
trade wind (def. 1).
—
v.t.
1. to buy and sell; barter; traffic in.
2. to exchange:
to trade seats.
—
v.i.
1. to carry on trade.
2. to traffic (usually fol. by
in):
a tyrant who trades in human lives.
3. to make an exchange.
4. to make one's purchases; shop; buy.
5. trade down,to exchange a more valuable or desirable item for a less valuable or desirable one.
6. trade in,to give (a used article) as payment to be credited toward a purchase:
We trade in our car every three years.
7. trade off,to exchange something for or with another.
8. trade on or upon,to turn to one's advantage, esp. selfishly or unfairly; exploit:
to trade on the weaknesses of others.
9. trade up,to exchange a less valuable or desirable item for a more valuable or desirable one.
—
adj.
1. of or pertaining to trade or commerce.
2. used by, serving, or intended for a particular trade:
trade journal.
3. Also,trades.of, composed of, or serving the members of a trade:
a trade club. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
