■ noun
1》 a person's regular occupation or trade.
↘work to be done or matters to be attended to.
2》 a person's concern.
3》 commercial activity.
↘a commercial organization.
4》 informal a matter: the ~ of trying to find her mother.
5》 Theatre actions other than dialogue in a play.
6》 ( the ~ ) Brit. informal an excellent person or thing.
Phrases
in ~ informal able to begin something.
in the ~ of engaged in or prepared to engage in.
like nobody's ~ informal extraordinarily.
send someone about their ~ dated tell someone to go away.
Origin
OE bisignis 'anxiety' (see busy , -ness ); sense 2 dates from ME and is the root of current senses.