sell

Main Entry:: ¹sell
Pronunciation:: \ˈsel\
Function:: verb
Inflected Form(s):: sold \ˈsōld\ ; sell·ing
Etymology:: Middle English, from Old English sellan; akin to Old High German sellen to sell, Greek helein to take
Date:: before 12th century

transitive verb1: to deliver or give up in violation of duty, trust, or loyalty and especially for personal gain : betray —often used with out<sell out their country>2 a (1): to give up (property) to another for something of value (as money) (2): to offer for sale b: to give up in return for something else especially foolishly or dishonorably <sold his birthright for a mess of pottage> c: to exact a price for <sold their lives dearly>3 a: to deliver into slavery for money b: to give into the power of another <sold his soul to the devil> c: to deliver the personal services of for money4: to dispose of or manage for profit instead of in accordance with conscience, justice, or duty <sold their votes>5 a: to develop a belief in the truth, value, or desirability of : gain acceptance for <trying to sell a program to the Congress> b: to persuade or influence to a course of action or to the acceptance of something <sell children on reading>6: to impose on : cheat7 a: to cause or promote the sale of <using television advertising to sell cereal> b: to make or attempt to make sales to c: to influence or induce to make a purchase8: to achieve a sale of <sold a million copies>intransitive verb1: to dispose of something by sale <thinks now is a good time to sell>2: to achieve a sale ; also : to achieve satisfactory sales <hoped that the new line would sell>3: to have a specified price

— sell·able

\ˈse-lə-bəl\ adjective

— sell down the river

: to betray the faith of

— sell short

1: to make a short sale2: to fail to value properly : underestimate

Learn more about "sell" and related topics at Britannica.com

See a map of "sell" in the Visual Thesaurus

Find Jobs in Your City

Pronunciation Symbols