trade

Universal Words 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 trade seealsoBALANCEOFTRADE, FREETRADE 2 [C] a particular type of business: the building / food / tourist trade * He works in the retail trade (= selling goods in shops / stores). seealsoRAGTRADE 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 * Their company is respected and well known in the trade. seealsoSTOCK-IN-TRADE 4 [U,C] the amount of goods or services that you sell: 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). IDIOMS see JACKn., PLYv., ROARING, TRICKn. verb 1 ~ (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] ~ (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 STOCKEXCHANGE: [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] PHRASALVERBS trade at sth (AmE) to buy goods or shop at a particular store trade down to spend less money on things than you used to: Shoppers are trading down and looking for bargains. trade sth<->in (to sth) to give sth used as part of the payment for sth new: He traded in his old car for a new Mercedes. relatednounTRADE-IN trade sth<->off (against / for sth) to balance two things or situations that are opposed to each other: They were attempting to trade off inflation against unemployment. relatednounTRADE-OFF trade on sth (disapproving) to use sth to your own advantage, especially in an unfair way: They trade on people's insecurity to sell them insurance. trade up (for sth) 1 to sell sth in order to buy sth more expensive: We're going to trade up to a larger house. 2 to give sth you have used as part of the payment for sth more expensive