sell1 verbsell2 noun
sellsell1 /sel/ ●●● S1 W1 verb (past tense and past participle sold /səʊld $ soʊld/) 
WORD ORIGINsell
Origin:
Old English sellanVERB TABLE
sell
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | sell |
| he, she, it | sells | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | sold |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have sold |
| he, she, it | has sold | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had sold |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will sell |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have sold |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am selling |
| he, she, it | is selling | |
| you, we, they | are selling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was selling |
| you, we, they | were selling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been selling |
| he, she, it | has been selling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been selling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be selling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been selling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Books that don't sell are sent back to the publishers.
- Do they sell brake fluid here?
- If you can, wait to sell until prices are high.
- It's not just a question of making a good product - we also have to go out and sell it to people.
- It is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.
- Jackson faces a difficult struggle in selling his proposal to the city council.
- My parents sold the stereo at a garage sale.
- Postcards and souvenirs were being sold outside the cathedral.
- The antique buttons are very valuable, and we sell them for £100 and upwards.
- The company sold Braugh $100,000 worth of computers at discounted rates.
- The handcrafted rocking horses have sold well across the United States.
- The last model didn't sell as well as they'd expected.
- The painting was sold to an art gallery in Philadelphia.
- Their first album sold millions.
- There's no question about it - scandal sells newspapers.
- Tom's thinking of selling his motorcycle and buying a new one.
- We're hoping the house will sell quickly.
- Everyone seemed to be selling chromium picolinate.
- If you want, say, a job in customer service, those skills would be important selling points.
- It sold shares in an initial public offering in May 1994.
- Most supermarkets sell a wide range of products - often with special offers and price reductions.
- Raised in Chicago, Don sold construction services and transferred frequently.
- Some land was raised, leveled and sold to farmers.
- They don't even sell white heather any more or tell your fortune.
- Vending machines Vending machines usually sell items such as hot or cold drinks chocolate and cigarettes.
THESAURUS
to give something to someone in exchange for money: · He sold his motorcycle.· The shop sells old furniture.· Do you sell books on gardening?
to send goods to another country to be sold: · Which countries export oil to the United States?
to buy and sell a particular type of goods as part of your business: · He deals in antiques.
to make something available to be bought: · When the painting was first put up for sale, no one thought that it would be worth so much money.· The farm was put up for sale.
British English to sell your house or your business so that you can move to a different place or do something different: · They’re thinking of selling up and moving to Canada.
to sell things at a special event to the person who offers the most money: · The contents of his home will be auctioned.
British English informal to sell something, especially something that is of low quality: · A man at the market was flogging £10 watches.
to sell cheap things in the street. Also used about selling illegal drugs and pornography: · Street vendors peddled American and British cigarettes.· People who peddle drugs to children should be severely punished.
to buy and sell large quantities of illegal goods or people: · They trafficked in illegal weapons.· The gang were involved in people-trafficking.· drug-trafficking
Longman Language Activatorto sell something to give something to someone in exchange for money: · Tom's thinking of selling his motorcycle and buying a new one.· If you can, wait to sell until prices are high.· Postcards and souvenirs were being sold outside the cathedral.sell somebody something: · The company sold Braugh $100,000 worth of computers at discounted rates.sell something to somebody: · It is illegal to sell tobacco to anyone under the age of 18.· The painting was sold to an art gallery in Philadelphia.sell something for £250/$50 etc: · The antique buttons are very valuable, and we sell them for £100 and upwards.
to sell something, usually a group of things, at a reduced price in order to get rid of it quickly, because you need the money soon, or because it will not last a long time: sell something off: · The bakery usually sells its cakes off at half price just before closing time.sell off something: · After the funeral the house contents were sold off quickly to pay all his debts.· The school district may be forced to close schools and sell off land in order to make much-needed repairs.
if a country or a company exports its products, it sends them to another country in order to sell them: · Japanese televisions and hi-fi systems are exported all over the world.· Ancient artefacts cannot be exported.export something to France/the UK/Japan etc: · In 1986 they exported 210,000 cases of wine to the UK.
British to sell your house, your business, or other things you own in order to move to a different place or to do something different: · Why don't we sell up and move to Canada? Property is really cheap there!· My parents sold up the farm and went to live in Glasgow.
if someone who works in a shop or a bar serves a customer, they help them to buy or choose the goods that they want: · There was a line of people in front of me who were all waiting to be served.· Estrada was serving a customer when the fire started.· It is illegal to serve alcoholic drinks to anyone under 18.
to buy and sell a particular kind of goods as part of your business: · The gallery deals mostly in paintings but they do sometimes sell photographs.· Tax agents are visiting more than 5,000 businesses that deal in expensive items such as cars, boats, and jewels.
when something is sold: · The rebels are using money from the sale of drugs to buy weapons.· The law prohibits the sale and consumption of alcohol on unlicensed premises.
British informal to sell something, especially something that is of low quality or that has something wrong with it: · There was a man at the market who was flogging watches for £10 each.flog somebody something: · Don't let him flog you his car -- he's had endless trouble with it.
to sell goods, usually things that are cheap, especially by going from place to place rather than selling them in a shop: · Street vendors peddled flowers and candles.· Belloni started her bakery business by peddling her homemade bread to local stores.
the activity of selling goods or shares in companies: · Trading started briskly on the New York Stock Exchange this morning.stop/cease trading: · The company ran out of money and was forced to cease trading.
to sell illegal goods to sell illegal drugs to people: · The gang earned as much as $10 million a month peddling heroin and cocaine.peddle something to somebody: · Stricter punishments will be given to those convicted of peddling drugs to children.
to buy and sell illegal goods such as drugs or weapons: · The police suspect him of dealing in stolen goods.· Police believe Fry was dealing in narcotics.· The article accuses Davis of dealing in arms.
informal to sell illegal drugs, especially to people who are trying them for the first time, to make them want more: · Anyone caught pushing heroin or cocaine is given a long prison sentence.
selling large quantities of illegal drugs or taking them into another country in order to sell them: · In Thailand the penalty for drug trafficking is death.· Customs officials claim to have uncovered a major drug-trafficking ring.trafficking in: · The two girls were arrested for trafficking in hard drugs.
the system by which people illegally buy and sell goods or foreign money, especially for high prices, often because these things are difficult to obtain legally: · Authorities are worried about the growing black market in the city.on the black market: · You can get a much better rate for your dollar on the black market than in a bank.black market in: · The immigration service is concerned about a thriving black market in phoney ID cards and working permits.
to sell something to the person who offers the most money also auction off · One of the Beatles' guitars is being auctioned for charity.· The contents of the house were auctioned to pay off the family's debts.
a public meeting at which things are sold to the person who offers to pay the most money: · The buyer did not attend the auction, but sent a representative to place the bids.hold an auction: · Sotheby's decided to hold auctions in Japan twice a year.at (an) auction: · Bikes that have not been claimed by the owners will be sold at a public auction January 11.· How much do you think the painting would fetch at auction?
to arrange for something be sold at a public meeting to the person who offers to pay the most money: · After months trying to sell the farm, they decided to put it up for auction.· One of the world's finest collections of vintage cars is to be put up for auction.
informal if something comes or goes under the hammer , especially something valuable such as a famous painting, it is sold at an auction: · A collection of prints and paintings by Picasso came under the hammer at Sotheby's yesterday.
someone who sells things in a shop especially British someone who owns or is in charge of a small shop: · The shopkeeper chased the boys out of his shop, accusing them of stealing.· Many immigrants have been highly successful as shopkeepers.
formal someone who owns a small shop: · Proprietor Ginny Gavin serves fresh croissants and fruit at breakfast to guests at her inn.proprietor of: · Dan Conrad, the proprietor of Conrad's Bookstore, says that small stores such as his offer service and convenience.
American written someone who owns or is in charge of a shop: · Local merchants have had trouble with vandals breaking windows.· Merchants say sales have not been affected by the road repairs.
also shop assistant British, /sales clerk American someone who deals with customers in a shop and sells them things: · Rowan worked as a sales assistant in a Beverly Hills shopping mall.· She's a shop assistant in the shoe department.· Get advice from a knowledgeable sales clerk.
someone whose job is to persuade people, shops, and companies to buy their company's products: · I worked for a while as a salesman for a big computer corporation.· Gail has been the firm's top saleswoman for the last two years.
the members of a company whose job is to persuade people to buy that company's products, or to sell goods to people in a shop: · The company has a sales staff of 600.· Customers liked the personal service the sales staff provided.
someone who sells things to people in the street: · Outside the theatre, there was a row of flower vendors.· Frank stopped to buy the evening paper from a news vendor.street vendor: · Flags sold by street vendors fluttered in the crowd of about 5,000.
a person or company that sells goods, shares etc a company or person that sells goods to the public in a shop - used especially in business contexts: · Our products are sold through the Body Shop and other well-known retailers.· Retailers face their slowest business period in January and February.clothing/furnishings/women's etc retailer: · Talbot's is a women's retailer with 20 stores in California.high-street retailer British (=a company that has shops in the main shopping area of several towns): · One high-street retailer has gone out of business.
a person or company that sells goods in large quantities and at low prices, especially to other companies that then sell the goods to the public: · The early morning market is for wholesalers only, the general public have to wait until later in the day.fish/meat/clothing etc wholesaler: · Fisherman are involved in a price dispute with fish wholesalers.
a person or company that buys and sells large quantities of goods such as wine, or basic materials such as coal and wood: · She was born in 1432, the daughter of a wealthy London merchant.arms/wine/antiques etc merchant: · an international arms merchant
a person or a company that buys and sells a particular type of goods, or that sells a particular company's products: · Make sure you buy your used car from an authorised dealer.· "The market has been strong," said one dealer.art/car/antique etc dealer: · She bought the painting from a Swiss art dealer.bond/securities/currency etc dealer: · According to a senior currency dealer, the pound is likely to continue to rise against the dollar.
someone who buys and sells goods, especially in a very far away place, or who buys and sells shares on the financial market: · Traders enter the amount of stock they want to buy or sell, and the computer calculates a price.fur/slave/arms etc trader: · Montreal was founded by French fur traders in the 17th century.bond/currency/stock etc trader: · Bond traders worried about inflation have driven up interest rates on long-term bonds.
the person who sells something to another person or company in a business deal: · Both buyer and seller should agree on the terms before the contract is signed.
someone who sells things illegally someone who buys and sells illegal drugs: · Dealers were selling heroin outside the stadium.· Drug pushers have been warned to stay away from the club.· Residents complain of cocaine and heroin dealers selling on the streets outside their homes.
British /scalper American someone who stands outside a sports event or concert and sells tickets for it at high prices: · Touts were selling tickets to the match for £50 or more.· Organisers of the concert were worried there would be trouble from ticket touts.· Scalpers wanted $150 for seats that normally sell for $40.
something that is sold things that are produced in order to be sold: · The store sells a wide range of goods.· The cost of almost all goods and services soared when price controls were removed.· We import a lot of electrical goods from Japan.
something that is made, grown, or designed in order to be sold: · There is less demand now for products like coal and steel.· The new product took more than three years to develop before being put on the market.· The company manufactures and delivers paper and paper products.
things that are produced in order to be sold, especially when they are shown for sale in a shop - used especially in business contexts: · The merchandise is attractively displayed and the assistants are friendly and helpful.· The fire at the warehouse destroyed merchandise valued at over $2 million.
goods that are sent to a foreign country in order to be sold: · The value of China's exports to the US rose by over 50% last year.· Britain's total exports to the other EU member states now exceed imports.· The country's main export is coal.
to make something available for people to buy also come/go on the market · We put our house on the market last September and we still haven't sold it.· The drug came on the market in the late 1990s and has been widely prescribed.· The car will probably sell for around $50,000 when it goes on the market.· Most wines are left to mature before they are put on the market.
to make something such as a house, business, or piece of land available for people to buy: · The historic property has been put up for sale.· After the merger, parts of the business are likely to be put up for sale.
if a company brings out a new product that they have made, they make it available for people to buy: bring out something: · Kodak brought out a camera which stores up to 100 images on a computer disc.bring something out: · The two cookbooks have sold well, and Doubleday is bringing them out in new paperback editions.
if a company launches a new product, they publicly announce, especially with a lot of advertising, that it is available for people to buy: · Fiat launched a tiny "city car" especially for Europe's narrow, crowded streets.· Fezza, the clothes designer, launched his first collection in 1980.
to print a book, magazine, or newspaper and make it available for people to buy: · Ladybird publish books for young children.· Amateur Photographer is published every Tuesday.· Rowling's latest Harry Potter novel sold millions of copies as soon as it was published.
if a company releases a record or film, it makes it available for people to buy or see: · Her new album will be released at the end of the month.· Carrey's new comedy is due to be released in the US very soon.
available for people to buy if something is for sale , the person who owns it wants to sell it: · There are several houses for sale in our street.· There was "for sale" notice in the car's window.· The festival will have food and crafts for sale, games for children, and music.
if something such as a house, a shop, or a piece of land is up for sale , it has been publicly announced that it is available for people to buy: · The house has been up for sale for months.· Several subsidiary businesses are up for sale.
if a product is on sale , you can buy it in the shops: · These cameras are on sale in most electrical stores.go on sale (=begin to be available): · The new model Toyota goes on sale next month.
goods that are on the market are available for people to buy - use this especially when you are comparing products of the same general type: · It's one of the cheapest computers on the market.· There may be better shoes on the market, but this is the one the kids want.on the market for: · The house was on the market for $475,000.
to stop selling something if a company takes a product off the market , it stops producing it and shops stop selling it: · The mineral water was taken off the market while tests were being made.· Sales of the newspaper were so poor that it was taken off the market within a couple of months.· The Federal Drug Administration has said that all products containing the additive must be taken off the market immediately.
if a shop or a company withdraws a product, it makes it unavailable for people to buy by removing it from shops: · Newsagents across the country have withdrawn the magazine after numerous complaints from women's groups.· After two children had been hurt, the company was forced to withdraw the toy from store shelves.withdraw something from sale: · Christmas decorations were withdrawn from sale yesterday following a fire-risk warning.
if a company recalls a product, they ask all the shops that sell it and the people that have bought it to send it back to them for checking, because there may be something wrong with it: · Thousands of car baby-seats have had to be recalled after a fault was discovered in the safety harness.· The company voluntarily recalled about 11,000 of the devices to check them for defects.
the amount of something that is sold the number of products that a business sells, or the value of the products it sells: · A big price increase led to a fall in sales.sales of: · Sales of the book have been astonishing.· Coupons for discounts on certain products have increased sales of those products.
the value of goods or services that a company sells over a particular period of time: · Turnover at the two restaurants was about $7.4 million this year.· Recently the company has been trying to increase its turnover by diversifying into other fields.
when a lot of something is sold · Books that don't sell are sent back to the publishers.· The handcrafted rocking horses have sold well across the United States.· The last model didn't sell as well as they'd expected.
a best-selling product is one that is sold in large numbers, especially more than any other product of the same type: · Agatha Christie is said to be the world's best-selling author.· a list of the week's best-selling music and children's videos· Chanel Number 5 is the best-selling scent of all time.
/bestseller/best seller a book, game, video, record etc that has been bought by a very large number of people: · Several TV movies have been based on best sellers by Danielle Steel.· Every year there's a toy that becomes a hard-to-find best-seller.bestseller list (=an official list of what has sold most): · All four Harry Potter books are currently on the bestseller list.
if one product outsells another, more of it is sold than the other product: · His latest album has outsold all his other records put together.· Chardonnay continues to outsell other wines.
informal if a product is selling like hot cakes , it is being sold very quickly and in large amounts because people very much want to buy it: · Grisham's new book is selling like hot cakes.
British if a shop or a person that sells a particular type of goods is doing a roaring trade , they are selling large quantities of goods because a lot of people suddenly want to buy them: · Since the heatwave started, ice cream vendors have been doing a roaring trade.do a roaring trade in: · The shops outside the station were doing a roaring trade in umbrellas.
when all of something has been sold if a shop, ticket office etc sells out of goods or tickets, or if goods or tickets sell out , all of them are sold so there are no more available: · I went to the store to get some bread but they had sold out.· Sunday newspapers often sell out by 10 o'clock.sell out of: · They opened at 8 o'clock, and by 8.30 they had sold out of tickets for the big game.be sold out (=when all the tickets for a performance or sports event have been sold): · We couldn't get tickets anywhere - the show was completely sold out.
if a play, football game, concert etc is a sell-out , it is very popular and all the tickets for it have been sold: · The band's European tour was a sell-out.sell-out crowd: · The Mariners beat the Angels in front of a sell-out crowd.
if a product or the shop selling the product is out of stock , the shop does not have any of that product available now, because they have sold all of it: · The scooters are popular and are often out of stock.· We're out of stock, but we can put one on order for you.
if a hotel, restaurant, or organized trip somewhere is booked up or fully booked , all the places have been bought and there are no more available: · Flights to the US are all booked up this time of year.· Popular campsites are fully booked on weekends for most of the summer.· All the hotels in the area are booked up months in advance.
to advertise something to tell people publicly about a product or service in order to try to persuade them to buy it, for example by showing short films on television, or by showing pictures with words in newspapers and magazines: · There was a big poster advertising a well-known brand of cola.· We are a small business so we can only afford to advertise in the local press.be advertised on TV/on the radio: · "How did you find out about the new software?" "It was advertised on TV."be advertised in a newspaper/magazine etc: · The concert was advertised in all the national newspapers.be heavily advertised (=be advertised a lot): · Young smokers tend to buy the brands that are most heavily advertised.
to try to make people buy a new product, see a new film etc, for example by selling it at a lower price or talking about it on television: · Meg Ryan is in Europe to promote her new movie.· To promote their new shampoo, they are selling it at half price for a month.promote something as something: · They're trying to promote Dubai as a tourist destination.
also publicise British to tell the public about a situation, event, organization, problem by advertising, writing, or speaking about it on television, in newspapers etc: · Hollywood gossips were saying that the studio lacked the funds to publicize its new film properly.· A good estate agent will know the best ways to publicize the fact that your home is for sale.· A series of articles and television shows publicized concerns that the chemical Alar, used to keep apples red and firm, could cause cancer.well-/highly/widely/much publicized (=publicized a lot): · Jurors were asked what they knew about the highly publicized case.
to try to sell a product or service by deciding which type of people are likely to buy it and by making it attractive and interesting to them: · In order to market a product well, you need to be aware of public demand.· The company has exclusive European rights to market the new software.
informal to try to make people interested in a product, entertainer, film etc, using television, radio, and newspapers - use this to show that you do not trust this kind of information: · Like most Hollywood movies it was so hyped up that when I saw it I was completely disappointed.· The cosmetics industry is usually quick to hype its new products.
informal also give something a plug especially British informal to try to persuade people to buy a book, see a film etc, by talking about it publicly, especially on television or radio: · The only reason she agreed to be interviewed was to plug her new record.· The author used the opportunity of appearing on TV to give his latest book a plug.
to encourage people to buy something: · There's no question about it - scandal sells newspapers.sell something to somebody: · It's not just a question of making a good product - we also have to go out and sell it to people.
informal to try to sell more of a product or service by advertising it a lot: · Revlon is really pushing its new range of beauty creams.
to betray your beliefs or principles to behave in a way that is completely against your beliefs or principles, so that people think you have given them up completely: · The new government has betrayed the ideals of the revolution.· Greene was denounced for betraying his Catholic beliefs and siding with the Communists.
to behave in a way that is completely against what you have said are your beliefs or principles, especially in order to get advantages for yourself in politics: · When the Socialists changed their policy on nuclear weapons they were accused of selling out.· Many of the radicals of the 1960s sold out - they became accountants and salesmen.
to betray a friend or someone who trusts you to be disloyal to your friends or to someone who trusts you, often causing serious harm to them as a result: · He betrayed his friends in order to save his own life. betray somebody to the police/government etc (=give the police etc information about someone): · Olga's best friend betrayed her to the secret police.betray somebody's trust/confidence/friendship etc (=betray someone who trusts you): · I still have bitter feelings for Robert. What can I say? He completely betrayed my trust.feel betrayed (=feel that someone you trust has betrayed you): · When I heard what she had said about me I felt angry and betrayed.
to betray someone who trusts you, especially someone that you work with, by saying or doing something that will cause them a lot of harm and get you an advantage: · He seems friendly, but he wouldn't hesitate to stab you in the back if he thought it would help him get your job.· Thatcher was stabbed in the back by her former friends and colleagues in the Conservative Party.
to betray a group of people who trusted you to help them, in order to gain money or power for yourself: · The workers were promised that they would not lose their jobs as a result of the merger. Later they found out that they had been sold down the river.
great disloyalty to someone who trusts you, for example by secretly tricking them, or helping their enemies: · When the king learned of his brother's treachery, he quickly ordered his execution.· After a furious argument during which he accused the prime minister of treachery, he announced that he would resign his Cabinet position.
ways of saying or asking how much something costs if something costs £10, $100 etc, that is what you have to pay in order to buy it: · How much does a house like that cost in America?cost £10/$20/a lot etc: · Tickets for the show cost £15 or £20.cost somebody £10/$20 etc: · I stayed in a hotel in Paris which cost me $150 a night.cost a fortune informal (=cost a lot of money): · Look at Frank's new Mercedes - it must have cost a fortune.it costs £10/$20/a lot etc to do something: · The Department of Education estimates that it will cost $17 billion to build the new schools.
spoken say how much to ask what the price or cost of something is: · That's a beautiful rug -- how much did you pay for it?· By the way, how much does it cost to use the swimming pool?
if something is £100, $1000 etc, that is how much it costs - use this especially when you are asking or replying to a question about the cost of something: · "I like your new shirt - how much was it?" "It was only fifteen pounds."· I can't remember how much the flight cost. I think it was around $400.
if something is done, sold etc at a cost of a particular amount, that is how much it costs - used especially in news reports: · Surveys are being conducted in 10 European States at a cost of £50 million.
if something that you buy sets you back a particular amount of money, usually a large amount, that is how much it costs, especially when you think that it is very expensive: set somebody back £200/$400 etc: · A good quality saxophone will set you back at least £1000.set somebody back: · If she's hoping to buy a new sportscar, it's going to really set her back!
if a product is priced at a particular price that is how much the person who makes or sells it has decided it should cost: · The book, which is priced at £38, will be available in the shops from September.· I watched a demonstration of their new cordless phone, priced at $350.
to cost a particular amount of money - use this especially when you think this is more than it is worth: sell for £400/$600 etc: · Clothes with designer labels sell for ridiculous prices nowadays.· Houses in this area are selling for over $400,000.go for £100/$250 etc: · Watches like that are going for about £15 in the market.go to somebody for £100/$250 etc: · The painting finally went to a private collector for $60 million.
if something fetches a particular price, it is sold for that price or someone receives that amount of money by selling it, especially at a public sale: fetch £40/$500 etc: · It's a very old car, but I'm still hoping it'll fetch around £200.· Van Gogh's "Sunflowers' was expected to fetch more than $20 million.
British spoken use this to ask what the total cost of something is, especially a job someone has already done for you or something you have already received: · "The mechanic's just about finished working on your car, sir." "Thanks, and what's the damage?"·
to be too modest to tell people that you are less good, skilful etc than you really are: · He puts himself down, but he's really very gifted.· You know you're a good teacher. Don't run yourself down all the time.
informal to not tell people enough about your skills, ability etc, especially in a situation where other people are deciding whether to offer you a job or choose you for something: · If you sell yourself short at the interview, you'll never get the job. Let them know how good you are.· You're brilliant at tennis - don't sell yourself short.
to believe that you are less clever, good, skilful etc than you really are: · Don't underestimate yourself -- you can easily win.· I think you underestimate yourself when you say you couldn't cope with a job like this.
WORD SETSadmin, nounadministration, nounadministrative, adjectiveadministrator, nounagency, nounagent, nounbalance sheet, nounbazaar, nounbid, nounbid, verbbig business, nounbook value, nounboss, nounbottom line, nounbranch, nouncapacity, nouncapital, nouncapital assets, nouncapital gains, nouncapital goods, nouncapital-intensive, adjectivecapitalist, nouncard, nouncentralize, verbcompetitiveness, nounconsultancy, nouncontract, nouncontract, verbcost-effective, adjectivecoupon, nouncritical path, noundecentralize, verbdeveloper, noundistiller, noundistributor, noundiversify, verbdownsize, verbeconomics, nounenterprise, nounentrepreneur, nounestablishment, nounfashion, nounfly-by-night, adjectivefold, verbfoodstuff, nounform letter, nounfranchise, verbfranchisee, noungazump, verbgearing, noungeneric, adjectiveget, verbhard sell, nounhaute couture, nounhigh season, nounhigh technology, nounhike, nounhike, verbloss, nounlow-tech, adjectivemaximize, verbMD, nounmerchandise, verbmerchandising, nounmerger, nounmiddleman, nounmiller, nounmission statement, nounmom-and-pop, adjectivemoneygrabbing, adjectivemoneymaker, noun-monger, suffixmonopolistic, adjectivemonopoly, nounnet, adjectivenet, verbniche, nounoff-the-peg, adjectiveopening time, nounoperation, nounoperational, adjectiveoperator, nounoption, nounoutlay, nounoutlet, nounoutput, nounoutwork, nounoverhead, nounoverstock, verbpackage, nounpartner, nounpartnership, nounpatent, nounpayola, nounpercentage, nounpiracy, nounpremium, nounprivate practice, nounprivatization, nounprivatize, verbprofitability, nounproprietor, nounproprietress, nounpurchase price, nounpurchasing power, nounquiet, adjectiveR & D, nounrate of return, nounrecall, verbreject, nounrep, nounresearch and development, nounrestrictive practices, nounrevenue, nounsell, verbservice industry, nounsleeping partner, nounspeculate, verbspeculation, nounspeculative, adjectivestreet value, nounsubtotal, nounswap meet, nounsweatshop, nounsyndicate, nounsystems analyst, nountake, nountender, nountie-up, nounTM, transact, verbtransaction, nounturnover, nounundersell, verbuneconomic, adjectiveunit, noununprofitable, adjectivevideo conferencing, nounwatchdog, nounwheeler-dealer, nounwheeling and dealing, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Toni’s selling her car for £700. The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market. The crop was sold for a pittance. Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium. The equipment was sold for scrap. a yoghurt two days past its sell-by date This type of games console is starting to look well past its sell-by date. Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American English craftspeople selling their waresCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Toni’s selling her car for £700. (=make or lose money on a sale) Tony had to sell the business at a loss.
Tony had to sell the business at a loss. (=be offered for sale at £100/$50/30p etc) Smoke alarms sell for as little as five pounds.
Smoke alarms sell for as little as five pounds. (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well.
Anti-age creams always sell well. (=think an idea or plan is very good) Joe’s completely sold on the concept.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES Joe’s completely sold on the concept.· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author.
British English (=a date on a food product after which it should not be sold)· Those yoghurts are a week past their sell-by date.
· We decided to sell the house and move back to Seattle.
· The company sells insurance alongside its electrical products.
The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market. The crop was sold for a pittance. (=a quality or feature that makes people want to buy something)· The house's main selling point is its beautiful garden.
Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium.· Buying a property is a complicated business.
The equipment was sold for scrap. a yoghurt two days past its sell-by date This type of games console is starting to look well past its sell-by date.· This isn’t a good time to sell shares.
(=sell someone as a slave)
Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American English craftspeople selling their wares· The Government have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on imaginative advertising for selling off the country's nationalised industries.· He purchased Western Union through a bankruptcycourt reorganization, selling off its well-known money-transfer business.· But the information technology division is to be sold off.· These are companies whose total stock value is below what the company could get if it simply sold off its assets.· Who should the Minister sell off the subsidiaries?· Carolco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November and now is selling off its assets.· This takes much of the uncertainty of house buying and selling off the relocated employee's shoulders.· Selman has sold off two-thirds of his herd so far.
· The tactic plays to a public perception of Washington as a place that has sold out ordinary citizens.· Still others sold out to larger companies.· That was after I'd sold out and sent Julia to ... overseas.· Advance tickets are $ 10 per person and $ 25 per couple, and sell out every year.· Tickets for the concert, priced between £15 and £20, were sold out within days of being made available last Thursday.· When he published a small booklet last year offering advice on choosing a last name, it sold out immediately.· Minority voices on both sides will complain and accuse their governments of selling out.
NOUN· It is of course difficult to appraise peoples' motives for buying or selling derivative assets, so mere observation is insufficient.· Carolco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November and now is selling off its assets.· How many hungry people might have been fed when he sold his material assets?· To grow, they slashed, re-engineered, and bought and sold assets.
· A friend of mines and me got us into business selling something.· These old shops are still in business today, selling second-hand clothes and materials.· Honesty, decency, good will have no place in this business of selling or murdering an image.· The possibility that parts of the business could be sold off as a going concern should not be overlooked.· This is dismaying to businesses who want to sell things.· He wanted to build a big business selling running shoes.
· Mrs. Hamblin would have been precluded from denying the trader's authority to sell the car.· Last year, Mazda took another step when it decided to sell Anfini channel cars through its Eunos dealerships.· Voice over Anyone considering selling counterfeit goods at car boot sales could face two years in prison or unlimited fines.· Infiniti sold 3, 494 cars in December, up 3. 5 % from a year earlier.· But that law can't be used to stop people selling heaters at car boot sales.· Only 21 black-owned dealerships sold foreign cars in the United States last year, VadenWilliams said.· We decided that we would quietly sell the cars when possible and then wait.· He made a successful transition from selling religion to selling cars.
· Members of Dorrance's extended family have indeed disagreed in public over whether or not the company should be sold.· Fidelity often clears out entire investments in companies when it starts selling, he said.· Cable companies stopped selling air time.· The company will sell about 60 billion lire to the public by the end of January, say investment bankers.· What happens if a company is sold to one private sector owner but is transferred to another within a year?· The company sells its batteries mainly through electronics stores but is expanding to grocery shops and kiosks.· Many companies will process and sell information, which is not confined by borders.· Because what the company is selling is not its browser, but security.
· By 1985, that volume had sold a hundred thousand copies in paper and another hundred thousand in hardback.· In the mid-1970s it was selling around thirty thousand copies compared with the Times's sixty thousand.· Then it ended up selling 500, 000 copies.· By last week Atwood's novel had sold 1,069 copies.· So far, Microsoft has sold about 12 million copies of Windows 95.· The Daily Mail sold well over 200,000 copies daily in its first years and reached half-a-million sales after three years.· Not until Walden sold two thousand copies, five years later, could Thoreau point to any audience at all.
· Part of the licence will be an undertaking by the purchaser not to sell goods covered by an invention.· This practice is particularly damaging to Third World countries trying to sell their goods.· Experience in selling goods is certainly a plus.· The profits of a manufacturing company are achieved by selling the goods it makes at a price in excess of its costs.· They sell a variety of goods on a self-service basis.· Industry has continually wanted devaluation to sell goods and because of this short-sighted attitude, what now do we make and sell?· For the consent to be operative it must be such as to clothe the agent with with apparent authority to sell the goods.· If the seller was only able to sell the goods elsewhere for £1,800, then the seller must refund £800.
· The couple, in their mid-70s, lost their life savings of £65,000 and had to sell their home.· Homeowners who want to sell their homes without a real estate agent can now advertise their residential properties free on the Internet.· He would come back and find the heavy mob were selling Tombstone as holiday homes.· He is not, however, selling his old motor home.· The actress says she must sell her home to pay.· A similar trend is also developing whereby parents sell their home when their children have established an independent existence.· Higgs and Hill sold 500 homes in 1988, but volumes dropped by 35 percent in the first half of 1989.· Drops in income forced some Gypsies to sell their homes.
· Why not, dear, sell the house and come with Oreste to us?· Still unsuccessful, they built and sold houses.· They hope to sell the house as soon as possible but did not think it would go to a Vic Reeves fan.· The idea came to her during rehabilitation, and to help fund it, she sold her house in Utah.· If you're selling your house, try not to show people around on your own.· Your father and I are selling the house as soon as you two leave for college.· Whether they will be able to sell the houses at the end of it, is another matter.· The owner selling the house knew.
· We can not sell the lives of men and animals: therefore we can not sell this land.· Others were more conveniently sited for them but inconveniently for the Company, as a condition of selling land for the railway.· Or maybe just sell the land for condos.· The plan also says republics should continue their efforts to sell land to peasants.· The freeholder may of course sell the land or property subject to the leaseholder's interest being maintained.· If you have planning permission it's a hell of a lot easier to sell land.· Using the techniques of forum theatre, the class try to persuade the old man to sell his house and land.
· Fisher also argues that, even if you know for sure that a bear market will occur, selling is dumb.· They piled into the car and headed off to the local market to sell the shot glasses and recoup cash.· The government always has the ability to step into the market to buy or sell its own bonds.· It turned out to be the food market, where they sold swollen watermelons and aubergines and strange shaped fruits.· Boys chewed and smoked opium in the small open-air market, sold cucumbers and onions, blue eggs and small tomatoes.
· The net assets of the businesses being sold total £0.2 million.· It has sold more than 2 million copies.· This year alone, he has produced three albums and five singles that have each sold more than a million copies.· In November, the two North Carolina power companies sold $ 150 million in insured bonds.· Traders speculated the company might sell more than 40 million shares in Cepa.· New York State plans to sell $ 115 million in bonds this month and $ 140 million in commercial paper in March.· I want to say to you, if you can sell one Kirby, you can sell a million!
· Melinda says she can sell her services 40 percent cheaper than when she had a showroom.· Euro Disney claims that one of its tour operators has sold 70 percent of its first three months of Euro Disney allocations.· Mr Holmes a Court is thought to have taken advantage of the share's rapid progress, selling his 2 percent stake.· Supermarkets may be as surprised as anyone to find themselves selling no more than 25 percent of national production by 1997.
· But it's not so brilliant for any shareholders who sold at the float price.· The shares were sold at prices between $ 38. 45 and $ 40. 13 apiece.· Here items in short supply are sold at inflated prices - but still generally lower than on the black market.· If a smaller amount had been added, it would have sold at an intermediate price.· Very expensive, it sells abroad for enormous prices.· Sales agents acting on behalf of manufacturers, are vigilant in preventing retailers from selling at lower prices by threatening to cut future supplies.
· Since July the bureaucrats of the foreign-trade monopoly who knew how to sell its products abroad have been sacked.· He had created an overhead that was impossible to make work and still sell the product at a competitive price.· The decision whether or not to sell a product will depend on which ones make a positive contribution.· Our distributors worked hard to sell our products.· The selling and the product design were relaunched time and again.· On the surface, it looks like just another chain of huge stores selling low-cost products that require purchaser assembly.· As far as I know, no one has used an ad which is actively involved in selling a product in quite this way.· When Stride Rite was earning $ 100 million pretax, it was doing it by selling product that has since been abandoned.
· The recession has cut the number of Thames's commercial customers and has virtually killed off profits from selling redundant properties.· Very few firms can turn a profit by selling just once and then scurrying out of town.· Life insurers used to be able to show any profit from selling a bond in the year in which they traded it.· I can get more profit selling drink downstairs.· Until now they have made a tidy profit from selling re-issued pop hits from the fifties, sixties and seventies.
· In the meantime, an owner who wishes to move and sell his property has to wrestle with the problem of blight.· Several years ago, he said he was arrested for cutting and selling timber on state property.· To keep the budget deficit down, the government proposed to sell off shares and property valued at around 1,000 million kroner.· Did you know that Fiske was involved with the company that sold Whitewater property for Doogle?· They gave away small parcels, and even sanctioned the right to buy and sell property in the 1993 constitution.· The church sold the property to Christopher and Marie Maier in 1986.· The freeholder may of course sell the land or property subject to the leaseholder's interest being maintained.· When the Maiers sold the property to the Pimentels, they signed a statement saying there were no significant easements.
· Households also sell their labour services to firms in return for the payment of income.· E and Edison produce three-quarters of the power sold in their service territories.· Site certificates are for companies wanting to sell goods and services over the World Wide Web.· Over the years, they built a network of local dealerships and warehouses to sell equipment and provide service and repairs.· You could sell your services to whichever temporary group of people needed to buy your skills at that point in time.· Compliance Coach sells Web-based services to the banks, stockbrokers and myriad other companies subject to the law's requirements.· The current thinking is to sell off freight services first.· Raised in Chicago, Don sold construction services and transferred frequently.
· Busy tourist shops sell quality leather goods, carpets and strikingly cheap cotton goods.· Just sick over the prices in shops selling the 1960s furniture you finally convinced your parents to throw out?· The book has now appeared in the shops and is selling well.· The shops in Brookline that sell fresh kosher chickens are closed on Saturday.· But a shop selling only summer-weight clothes in November looked mildly ridiculous.· One spring Conran went on a tour of sixty shops which sold his furniture.· A few motorcycle shops occasionally sell used ones.
· A whole week in Paris at Easter seemed to her something for which she would willingly have sold her soul.· She was accused of being a Salem witch for selling her soul to the devil at the strawberry banks.· Bertinotti accuses Cossutta of selling his political soul.· The fact that we would literally sell our soul to Continental Airlines.· Faustus wilfully ends himself; he sells his soul to the devil.· If he were mine, I would rather sell my soul.· Timothy was agonising over her, when Honor West would have sold her soul for a single kiss from him.· He doesn't accuse us of selling our souls.
· They also help Milan to sell tickets.· It also opened a concierge desk selling tickets to area events and hired a tour coordinator fluent in five languages.· The time-based Travelcard will continue to be sold, but some tickets will use stored value.· We are selling more single tickets.· Guildford Rally Teachers who sold tickets please send a list of names of those attending to Pat Shere.· He did not need to sell tickets at the entrance of a marquee.· It sells combination tickets to four museums for about £3.· Stations of the Pennsylvania Railroad were used for picking up passengers and selling tickets.
· He thinks that the company will be able to sell 12,000 units.· Other citizens might also, if the bonds were sold in small units.· Fujitsu looks to sell 35,000 units of the new models over the next two years.· Kodak is exploring either selling its copier unit or setting a joint venture or strategic alliance.· But how much does it cost to sell the units?· Wall Street had been clamoring for Kodak to sell the unit.· Currently priced at £149, they have sold about 50,000 units in the year since it was first launched.· In more than one case entire housing subdivisions have been sold before the first unit was constructed.
VERB· Last month, Ladd agreed to sell its Brown Jordan&.· Sainsbury and Tesco said they would agree to sell the unmarked products.· A lower price enables them to buy shares for less than the price at which they have agreed to sell the shares.· Being willing to talk after your board agrees to sell you is different to requesting a move.· Hamilton agreed to sell him the story.
· Both trying to buy and trying to sell a property can have fundamental implications for most people's financial situation.· Firms that provide swaps buy or sell U. S. Treasuries to hedge against sudden interest rate shifts.· Many pastoral and voluntary caring relationships are now bought and sold in the market place.· Not all the associations are jumping at the chance to buy and sell derivatives.· Each contract covers the right to buy or sell 1,000 Dixons shares at a given price in the future.· Jovana is 16 and works under-the-table, buying bread wholesale and selling it back to small stores.· Options give investors the right to decide, at some later point, whether they want to buy or sell something.
· It expects to sell, in two or three years, intelligent robots capable of limited judgement.· The new batteries are expected to sell for about the same price as current models.· Omron sold 6,000 Lunas in 1992 and expects to sell 3,000 Luna 2001s over the next twelve months.· Eventually, dealers say, the irritant is expected to be sold in retail stores and convenience markets as well.· It is expected to sell its entire shareholding.· It is expected to sell for about $ 75 per bottle when it is released this year.· Swindon Town expect to sell their entire allocation of thirty-six thousand tickets for the First Division play-off final.· He also is expected to sell his expensive Bentley automobile, leaving only him with a Chevrolet Suburban.
· Members are also planning to sell badges of its bee logo to boost funds.· It had planned to sell the bonds today, underwriters said, but decided to wait because yields have risen recently.· It plans to sell its franchises in those countries but continue to operate in partnership with Pepsico in Britain.· NatWest plans eventually to sell the building.· The owner, tycoon Antony Tannouri, 46, had planned to sell the masterpieces after getting a £23 million tax demand.· New York City plans to sell $ 750 million in bonds in February.· The Sister Superior at Bartestree says the nuns were already planning to sell up.
· Also, you don't get a queue of aggressive-looking old men trying to sell you E all night.· He had tried to sell the O & Ys and failed.· Finally, if you are trying to sell your house, but without much success, aromatherapy may be the answer.· If you buy into that idea, let me try to sell you on yet another one.· You might try to sell dreams but in the end people don't buy them.· It is, rather, defining the specific thing that you are trying to sell.· Mr Cross also denied that Mr Bond was trying to sell the painting himself.· For your own welfare, I must try to sell you!
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► sell like hot cakesPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► high-pressure sales/selling methods etc► be selling/going like hot cakes► be sold a pup/buy a pup
1give something for money [intransitive, transitive] to give something to someone in exchange for money OPP buy: - Don't sell this guy short - there's more to him than just good looks.
- A whole week in Paris at Easter seemed to her something for which she would willingly have sold her soul.
- Faustus wilfully ends himself; he sells his soul to the devil.
- He doesn't accuse us of selling our souls.
- If he were mine, I would rather sell my soul.
- Men who have sold their souls to the darkness.
- She was accused of being a Salem witch for selling her soul to the devil at the strawberry banks.
- The fact that we would literally sell our soul to Continental Airlines.
- Timothy was agonising over her, when Honor West would have sold her soul for a single kiss from him.
- The workers were promised that they would not lose their jobs as a result of the merger. Later they found out that they had been sold down the river.
- Nine legislators were charged with selling their votes for cash.
- If you want a promotion, you've got to sell yourself better.
- Don't be negative or apologetic - remember you're selling yourself, and should highlight your good points.
- For the candidate the same basic rules of selling yourself apply as for one-to-one interviews.
- Let the kids sell themselves the way the schools peddle their athletic programs.
- Now it is selling itself as the natural arena for developing companies in the new Länder.
- She was going to sell herself - she has sold herself by now - and would have sold me - for supper.
- So I don't sell myself to him.
- Still, one could not help but feel that with Last Supper Frank had sold himself short.
- You will be choosing the organization and then selling yourself to them, rather than relying solely upon answering newspaper advertisements.
- It was a practical certainty that he would be trying to raise more loans long before these were ever repaid.
If you offer him another hundred, I think he’ll sell. He regrets selling all his old records.sell something for £100/$50/30p etc Toni’s selling her car for £700.sell somebody something I won’t sell you my shares!sell something to somebody The vase was sold to a Dutch buyer.sell something at a profit/loss (=make or lose money on a sale) Tony had to sell the business at a loss.2make something available [intransitive, transitive] to offer something for people to buy: Do you sell cigarettes? a job selling advertising spacesell at/for £100/$50/30p etc (=be offered for sale at £100/$50/30p etc) Smoke alarms sell for as little as five pounds.3make somebody want something [transitive] to make people want to buy something: Scandal sells newspapers.sell something to somebody The car’s new design will help sell it to consumers.4be bought [intransitive, transitive] to be bought by people: Tickets for the concert just aren’t selling. Her last book sold millions of copies. All the new houses have been sold.sell well/badly (=be bought by a lot of people, or very few people) Anti-age creams always sell well.5sell like hot cakes to sell quickly and in large amounts6idea/plan [intransitive, transitive] to try to make someone accept a new idea or plan, or to become accepted: It’s all right for Washington, but will it sell in small-town America?sell something to somebody It’s hard for any government to sell new taxes to the electorate.sell somebody something managers selling employees the new working hoursbe sold on (doing) something (=think an idea or plan is very good) Joe’s completely sold on the concept.7sell yourself a)to make yourself seem impressive to other people: If you want a promotion, you’ve got to sell yourself better. b) (also sell your body) to have sex with someone for money8sell somebody/something short to not give someone or something the praise, attention, or reward that they deserve: Don’t sell yourself short – tell them about all your qualifications.9sell your soul (to the devil) to agree to do something bad in exchange for money, power etc10sell somebody down the river to do something that harms a group of people who trusted you, in order to gain money or power for yourself11sell your vote American English to take money from someone who wants you to vote for a particular person or planTHESAURUSsell to give something to someone in exchange for money: · He sold his motorcycle.· The shop sells old furniture.· Do you sell books on gardening?export to send goods to another country to be sold: · Which countries export oil to the United States?deal in something to buy and sell a particular type of goods as part of your business: · He deals in antiques.put something up for sale/put something on the market to make something available to be bought: · When the painting was first put up for sale, no one thought that it would be worth so much money.· The farm was put up for sale.sell up British English to sell your house or your business so that you can move to a different place or do something different: · They’re thinking of selling up and moving to Canada.auction something/sell something at auction to sell things at a special event to the person who offers the most money: · The contents of his home will be auctioned.flog British English informal to sell something, especially something that is of low quality: · A man at the market was flogging £10 watches.peddle to sell cheap things in the street. Also used about selling illegal drugs and pornography: · Street vendors peddled American and British cigarettes.· People who peddle drugs to children should be severely punished.traffic in something to buy and sell large quantities of illegal goods or people: · They trafficked in illegal weapons.· The gang were involved in people-trafficking.· drug-traffickingsell something ↔ off phrasal verb1to sell something, especially for a cheap price, because you need the money or because you want to get rid of it: After the war, we had to sell off part of the farm. We sell off leftover cakes before we close.2to sell all or part of an industry or company: The Leicestershire company has sold off many of its smaller branches to cut debts.sell out phrasal verb1if a shop sells out of something, it has no more of that particular thing left to sellbe/have sold out Sorry, we’re sold out.sell out of We’ve completely sold out of those shirts in your size, sir.2if products, tickets for an event etc sell out, they are all sold and there are none left: Wow! Those cakes sold out fast.be/have sold out Tonight’s performance is completely sold out.3to change your beliefs or principles, especially in order to get more money or some other advantage – used to show disapproval: ex-hippies who’ve sold out and become respectable businessmen4to sell your business or your share in a business: Wyman says he’ll sell out if business doesn’t pick up.sell out to The T-mail Co. has sold out to San José-based DMX Inc for an undisclosed sum.sell up phrasal verb British English to sell most of what you own, especially your house or your business: Liz decided to sell up and move abroad.sell1 verbsell2 noun
sellsell2 noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market. The crop was sold for a pittance. Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium. The equipment was sold for scrap. a yoghurt two days past its sell-by date This type of games console is starting to look well past its sell-by date. Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American English craftspeople selling their wares
· Ian McEwan is a best-selling author.
British English (=a date on a food product after which it should not be sold)· Those yoghurts are a week past their sell-by date.
· We decided to sell the house and move back to Seattle.
· The company sells insurance alongside its electrical products.
The painting would fetch millions of dollars if it was sold on the open market. The crop was sold for a pittance. (=a quality or feature that makes people want to buy something)· The house's main selling point is its beautiful garden.
Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium.· Buying a property is a complicated business.
The equipment was sold for scrap. a yoghurt two days past its sell-by date This type of games console is starting to look well past its sell-by date.· This isn’t a good time to sell shares.
(=sell someone as a slave)
Gage predicted the president’s proposal would be a tough sell (=something that is difficult to persuade someone about) before Congress. American English craftspeople selling their waresPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► high-pressure sales/selling methods etc► be selling/going like hot cakes► be sold a pup/buy a pup
a hard/tough sell (also not an easy sell) something that it is difficult to persuade people to buy or accept: - It was a practical certainty that he would be trying to raise more loans long before these were ever repaid.
This tax increase is going to be a hard sell to voters. → hard sell, soft sell