I. ˈbī verb
( bought ˈbȯt, usu -ȯd.+V ; bought ; buying ; buys )
Etymology: Middle English byen (past boughte, past participle bought, ybought ), from Old English bycgan (past bohte, past participle boht, geboht ); akin to Old Saxon buggean to buy (past participle giboht ), Gothic bugjan (past bauhta, past participle -bauhts ), and perhaps to Old High German biogan to bend — more at bow
transitive verb
1. : to get possession or ownership of by giving or agreeing to give money in exchange : purchase — opposed to sell
2. : to obtain at a price of sacrifice
buying peace at the sacrifice of sovereignty
fame is dearly bought at the cost of honor
3. : to pay the price for so as to free : redeem especially by a ransom — used chiefly in a theological sense
He that bought us with his blood
4. : to gain the support or obedience of by an inducement : bribe , hire
buy a public official
— often used with over
whether they would go to jail or buy over the jury when the Act began to operate — H.J.Laski
5. : to be the purchasing equivalent of
$2000 will buy this land
the dollar buys less than it used to
6. : to obtain for cash or other consideration the rights to the services of : to take over the contract of
if a baseball club cannot get players in trades it must buy them
7. card games : to obtain (a specified card or cards) by drawing or from a widow
8. slang : believe
I won't buy any part of that explanation
: accept , approve
whether Britain … would buy that compromise … remained to be seen — Time
intransitive verb
: to perform the act of buying something
the buying public
the advantages of catalog buying
•
- buy it
- buy on a scale
II. noun
( -s )
1. : an act of buying : purchase
make a buy of wheat
2. : a thing bought or to be bought : something of value at a favorable price ; especially : bargain
this stock is a good buy at the current asking price
III. verb
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- buy the farm