1 [mass noun] the action of buying and selling goods and services:a move to ban all trade in ivorya significant increase in foreign trade
[count noun]North American (in sport) a transfer:players can demand a trade after five years of service
2a job requiring manual skills and special training:the fundamentals of the construction trade [mass noun]:he’s a carpenter by trade
3 (the trade) [treated as singular or plural] the people engaged in a particular area of business:in the trade this sort of computer is called ‘a client-based system’
British people licensed to sell alcoholic drink.
[mass noun] dated, chiefly derogatory the practice of making one’s living in business, as opposed to in a profession or from unearned income:the aristocratic classes were contemptuous of those in trade
4 (usually trades) a trade wind:the north-east trades
ზმნა
Universal
1 [no object] buy and sell goods and services:middlemen trading in luxury goods
[with object] buy or sell (a particular item or product):she has traded millions of dollars' worth of metals
(especially of shares or currency) be bought and sold at a specified price:the dollar was trading where it was in January
2 [with object] exchange (something) for something else, typically as a commercial transaction:they trade mud-shark livers for fish oil
give and receive (something, typically insults or blows):they traded a few punches
North American transfer (a player) to another team:would his behaviour cause them to trade him?
trade places
US change places:I would be glad to trade places with George and have his job
trade down (or up)
sell something in order to buy something similar but less (or more) expensive:homeowners who want to trade up
trade something in
exchange a used article in part payment for another:she traded in her Ford for a Land Rover
trade something off
exchange something of value, especially as part of a compromise:the government traded off economic advantages for political gains
trade on
take advantage of (something), especially in an unfair way:the government is trading on fears of inflation
