— tradable, tradeable , adj. — tradeless , adj.
/trayd/ , n. , v. , traded, trading , adj.
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. Informal. See trade paper .
11. trades . See trade wind (def. 1).
v.t.
12. to buy and sell; barter; traffic in.
13. to exchange: to trade seats.
v.i.
14. to carry on trade.
15. to traffic (usually fol. by in ): a tyrant who trades in human lives.
16. to make an exchange.
17. to make one's purchases; shop; buy.
18. trade down , to exchange a more valuable or desirable item for a less valuable or desirable one.
19. trade in , to give (a used article) as payment to be credited toward a purchase: We trade in our car every three years.
20. trade off , to exchange something for or with another.
21. trade on or upon , to turn to one's advantage, esp. selfishly or unfairly; exploit: to trade on the weaknesses of others.
22. trade up , to exchange a less valuable or desirable item for a more valuable or desirable one.
adj.
23. of or pertaining to trade or commerce.
24. used by, serving, or intended for a particular trade: trade journal.
25. Also, trades . of, composed of, or serving the members of a trade: a trade club.
[ 1300-50; 1540-50 for def. 4; ME: course, path, track trada ), c. OHG trata; akin to TREAD ]
Syn. 1. business, barter, dealing. TRADE, COMMERCE, TRAFFIC refer to the exchanging of commodities for other commodities or money. TRADE is the general word: a brisk trade between the nations. COMMERCE applies to trade on a large scale and over an extensive area: international commerce. TRAFFIC may refer to a particular kind of trade; but it usually suggests the travel, transportation, and activity associated with or incident to trade: the opium traffic; heavy traffic on the railroads. 3. swap. 4. vocation, métier, employment, living, craft. See occupation .
12. TRADE, BARGAIN, BARTER, SELL refer to exchange or transfer of ownership for some kind of material consideration. TRADE conveys the general idea, but often means to exchange articles of more or less even value: to trade with Argentina. BARGAIN suggests a somewhat extended period of coming to terms: to bargain about the price of a horse. BARTER applies esp. to exchanging goods, wares, labor, etc., with no transfer of money for the transaction: to barter wheat for machinery. SELL implies transferring ownership, usually for a sum of money: to sell a car.