/ treɪd; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] the activity of buying and selling or of exchanging goods or services between people or countries :
international / foreign trade
Trade between the two countries has increased.
the international trade in oil
the arms, drugs, etc. trade
—see also balance of trade , fair-trade , free trade
2.
[ C ] a particular type of business :
the building / food / tourist, etc. trade
He works in the retail trade (= selling goods in shops / stores) .
—see also rag trade
3.
the trade [ sing.+ sing./pl. v . ] a particular area of business and the people or companies that are connected with it :
They offer discounts to the trade (= to people who are working in the same business) .
a trade magazine / journal
—see also stock-in-trade
4.
[ U , C ] the amount of goods or services that you sell
SYN business :
Trade was very good last month.
5.
[ U , C ] a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and that requires special training and skills :
He was a carpenter by trade .
When she leaves school, she wants to learn a trade.
She was surrounded by the tools of her trade (= everything she needs to do her job) .
➡ note at work
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IDIOMS
see jack noun , ply verb , roaring , trick noun
■ verb
1.
trade (in sth) (with sb) to buy and sell things :
[ v ]
The firm openly traded in arms.
Early explorers traded directly with the Indians.
trading partners (= countries that you trade with)
[ vn ]
Our products are now traded worldwide.
2.
[ v ] trade (as sb/sth) to exist and operate as a business or company :
The firm has now ceased trading.
They traded as 'Walker and Son'.
3.
to be bought and sold, or to buy and sell sth, on a stock exchange :
[ v ]
Shares were trading at under half their usual value.
[also vn ]
4.
to exchange sth that you have for sth that sb else has :
[ vn ]
to trade secrets / insults / jokes
She traded her posters for his CD.
I wouldn't mind trading places with her for a day.
[also vnn ]
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- trade at sth
- trade down
- trade sth in
- trade sth off (against / for sth)
- trade on sth
- trade up
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (as a noun): from Middle Low German , literally track , of West Germanic origin; related to tread . Early senses included course, way of life , which gave rise in the 16th cent. to habitual practice of an occupation , skilled handicraft . The current verb senses date from the late 16th cent.