Topic: TRADE

Explore TRADE Topic

Date:	1300-1400
Language:	Middle Low German
Origin:	'course, way, track'

trade
1 noun

trade1 S3 W1 See pronunciation table in "How to use dictionary" pages

buying/selling

[uncountable] the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries [= commerce]

trade between

Look up a word starting with D or S for samples of headword or sentence pronunciations on the LDOCE CD-ROM

There has been a marked increase in trade between East and West.

international trade agreements

unfair trade practices

trade in

Trade in ivory has been banned since 1990.

the arms/drug/slave etc trade (=the buying and selling of weapons, drugs etc)

➔ balance of trade , free trade

➔ trade war

at war (3)

the hotel/tourist etc trade

the business done by companies, hotels etc [↪ industry]:

Working on Saturdays is usual in the retail trade.

amount of business

[uncountable] British English business activity, especially the amount of goods or products that are sold [= business]:

A lot of pubs nowadays do most of their trade at lunchtimes.

passing trade (=customers who go into a shop when they are passing it, not regular customers)

Souvenir shops rely mainly on passing trade.

➔ do a roaring trade

at roaring (3)

an exchange of things

[singular] American English

a) when you exchange something you have for something that someone else has:

Let's make a trade - my frisbee for your baseball.

b) when a player on a sports team is exchanged for a player from another team:

The Celtics star demanded a trade after talks with management broke down.

the trade

a particular kind of business, and the people who are involved in it:

I could get Ron to look at your car for you; he works in the trade.

job/work

[uncountable and countable]BO a particular job, especially one needing special skill with your hands:

Brian insisted that his sons learn a trade.

My grandfather was a plumber by trade (=that was his job).

tools of your trade (=the things that you need to do your job)

➔ stock-in-trade , jack-of-all-trades

➔ ply your trade

at ply1 (1)

➔ tricks of the trade

at trick1 (7)