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trade definition

trade (trād)

noun

  1. Obsolete
    1. a track; path
    2. a course; regular procedure
    1. a means of earning one's living; occupation, work, or line of business
    2. an occupation requiring skill in any of certain kinds of work done with the hands, as distinguished from unskilled work or from a profession or business; craft
    3. all the persons or companies in a particular line of business or work
  3. the buying and selling of commodities or the bartering of goods; commerce
  4. dealings or the market involving specified commodities, customers, seasons, etc. the tourist trade, the Easter trade
  5. customers; clientele
  6. a purchase or sale; deal; bargain
  7. an exchange; swap
  8. the trade winds

Etymology: ME, a track, course of action < MLowG, a track < OS trada, a trace, trail, akin to ME trede, tread

adjective

  1. of or relating to trade or commerce
  2. of, by, or for those in a particular business or industry trade papers or journals
  3. of the members in the trades, or crafts trade unions

intransitive verb traded trad′ed, trading trad′·ing

  1. to carry on a trade or business
  2. to have business dealings (with someone)
  3. to make an exchange (with someone)
  4. Informal to be a customer (at a specified store or shop)

transitive verb

  1. to exchange; barter; swap
  2. to buy and sell (stocks, etc.)

Related Forms:

trade Idioms

trade down

to trade something for something of lower value

trade in

☆
to give (one's used automobile, etc.) as part of the purchase price of a new one

trade on

or trade upon
to take advantage of; exploit

trade up

to trade something for something of higher value

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms trade idiom

trade Synonyms

trade

n.

  1. Business

    commerce, sales, enterprise; see business 1.

  2. A craft

    occupation, profession, position; see job 1.

    Common trades include: accountant, boilermaker, baker, barber, butcher, bookbinder, bricklayer, carpenter, chef, construction worker, cook, draftsman, cabinetmaker, cameraman, data processing technician, data entry operator, mechanic, dressmaker, electrician, embalmer, engraver, jeweler, locksmith, metallurgist, repairman, merchant, storekeeper, millwright, miner, machinist, optician, operator, painter, plumber, printer, seamstress, shoemaker, tailor, textile worker, technician, toolmaker, welder.

  3. An individual business transaction

    deal, barter, contract; see sale 2. See syn. study at business.


trade

v.

  1. To do business

    patronize, shop, purchase; see buy 1, sell 1.

  2. To give one thing for another

    barter, swap, give in exchange; see exchange 2. See syn. study at sell.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

trade Usage Examples

Object

  • unionist: It is of interest to trade unionists, campaigners, educationalists, activists, social historians, singers and musicians.

Preposition: in

  • ivory: The session will also consider the parallel problems of wildlife conservation and the trade in ivory.

Adjective modifier

  • fair: Here, fair trade is more than a consumer choice it is becoming a way to make poverty history.

Modifies a noun

  • unionist: These old militants, party members and trade unionists, had a number of youth round them.

Noun used with modifier

  • slave: Children of modern times are only taught about the African slave trade.
trade usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

trade quotes

The most conservative man in the world is the British trade unionist, when you want to change him.

-Bevin, Ernest

A man must serve his time to every trade Save censureöcritics all are ready made. Take hackneyed jokes from Miller, got by rote, With just enough of learning to misquote.

-Rochdale

Here is a pleasant situation, and yet nothing pleasant to be seen. Here is a harbour without ships, a port without trade, a fishery without nets, a people without business; and, that which is worse than all, they do not seem to desire business, much less do they understand it.

-Defoe, Daniel

trade quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"trade." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/trade>

APA Style

trade. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/trade

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