trade: Meaning and Definition of

trade

Pronunciation: (trād), [key]
— n., v., adj. trad•ed, trad•ing,
—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. See trade paper.
  11. 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. to exchange a more valuable or desirable item for a less valuable or desirable one.
  6. to give (a used article) as payment to be credited toward a purchase: We trade in our car every three years.
  7. to exchange something for or with another.
  8. to turn to one's advantage, esp. selfishly or unfairly; exploit: to trade on the weaknesses of others.
  9. 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. 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.
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