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| Date: | 1300-1400 |
| Language: | Middle Low German |
| Origin: | 'course, way, track' |
1 the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries [= commerce]
buying/selling
[uncountable] the arms/drug/slave etc trade (=the buying and selling of weapons, drugs etc)
➔ balance of trade, free trade➔ trade war
at war (3)2 the business done by companies, hotels etc [↪ industry]: 
Working on Saturdays is usual in the retail trade.
the hotel/tourist etc trade
Working on Saturdays is usual in the retail trade.3 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.
amount of business
[uncountable] British EnglishA 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.
Souvenir shops rely mainly on passing trade.➔ do a roaring trade
at roaring (3)4
an exchange of things
[singular] American Englisha) when you exchange something you have for something that someone else has :
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 Celtics star demanded a trade after talks with management broke down.5 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.
the trade
I could get Ron to look at your car for you; he works in the trade.6 a particular job, especially one needing special skill with your hands :
job/work
[uncountable and countable]BO tools of your trade (=the things that you need to do your job)
➔ stock-in-trade, jack-of-all-trades
