I. ˈsel verb
( sold ˈsōld ; sold ; selling ; sells )
Etymology: Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan; akin to Old High German sellen to sell, Old Norse selja to deliver, sell, Gothic saljan to offer, present; causative-denominative from a prehistoric noun represented by Old English salu sale, Old High German sala delivery of goods, Old Norse sal payment, Old Slavic sŭlŭ deliverer, messenger; akin to Greek helein to take, Old Irish selb possession, property
transitive verb
1. : to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty : betray
the puppet who had no compunction over selling his country — Times Literary Supplement
— often used with out
won their confidence to sell them out
2.
a.
(1) : to give up (property) to another for money or other valuable consideration : hand over or transfer title to (as goods or real estate) for a price
sold his books
sold his house
sold his stock
— opposed to buy
(2) : to offer for sale : deal in as an article of sale
sells home appliances
sells insurance
b. : to give up in return for something else
sell my title for a glorious grave — Shakespeare
especially : to exchange foolishly or dishonorably
sold his birthright for a mess of pottage
sold its Puritan heritage for southern trade profits — V.L.Parrington
c. Britain : to give up (a military commission or command) by sale under the purchase system formerly in effect
d. : to exact a price for
put up a fierce resistance in his determination to sell his life dearly
3.
a. : to deliver into slavery for money
sold their captives to slave traders
b. : to give into the power of another
sell his soul to the devil
c. : to deliver the personal services of for money
noblemen still continued selling themselves and their soldiers to foreign war lords — J.S.Roucek
had sold her to other rich men — F.M.Ford
d. : to transfer the contract of for money or other consideration
sold their star shortstop for an undisclosed sum
4. : to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty
even the juries were flagrantly in the business of selling their verdicts — American Guide Series: Nevada
sold his vote to the highest bidder
5.
a. : to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for
sold their candidate as a true frontiersman and military hero — C.R.Adrian
trying to sell his program to Congress — Kiplinger Washington Letter
b. : to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something (as a doctrine, belief, or activity)
after you'd been sold, you were to pull the chestnuts out of the fire — Erle Stanley Gardner
had a tough time selling her dad on the idea — A.A.Fenton
sell children on reading
6. : to impose upon : cheat , deceive , trick
the belief was profound that America was sold in 1917-19 — New Republic
after all my hurry I was sold, for the doctor had been called away — Henry Lapham
7.
a. : to cause or promote the sale of
comics sell newspapers — Coulton Waugh
his name on the cover sells the book
b. : to make or attempt to make a sale to
sells gift shops
sells druggists
gives a big dinner party for a prospective customer so he can sell him — James Jones
c. : to influence or induce to make a purchase
here are the coats that sell the whole family — Women's Wear Daily
your product, effectively displayed, will sell the shopper — Phoenix Flame
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to dispose of something by sale : make a sale
not allowed to sell to minors
must use these next four years to sell , to merchandise our competitive enterprise system — Printers' Ink
b. : to promote sales
the basic purpose of any window or interior display is to sell — M.S.Hutchins
2.
a. : to achieve a sale : find a buyer
fall suits are selling briskly
b. : to admit of being sold
the tickets would not sell — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
an item that doesn't sell
3. : to have a specified price — used with at or for
sell at three for a dollar
sell for ten dollars each
•
- sell a bill of goods
- sell short
- sell the dummy to
II. noun
or selle “
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English selle, from Middle French, from Latin sella seat, chair, saddle — more at settle
archaic : saddle
III.
chiefly Scotland
variant of self
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: sell (I)
1. : a deliberate deception : cheat , hoax , imposition
the suspicion is aroused … that the principles are fake; and that, in fact, they have been the victims of a sell — G.E.G.Catlin
2.
a. : the act or an instance of selling : salesmanship
thanks to its chief announcer it was solid sell for thirty minutes — Goodman Ace
b. : sales appeal
needed a package with plenty of sell — Newsweek