Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - trade

~1 n 1 »BUYING/SELLING« the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods within a country or between countries  (There has been a marked increase in trade between East and West. | the arms trade (=the buying and selling of weapons))  (- see also balance of trade, free trade, slave trade) 2 the hotel/banking/tourist etc trade the business done by banks, hotels etc  (My husband worked in the jewellery trade all his life.) 3 »AMOUNT OF BUSINESS« business activity, especially the amount of goods or products that are sold  (A lot of pubs nowadays do most of their trade at lunchtimes.)  (- see also do a roaring trade roaring (3)) 4 »JOB/WORK« a particular job, especially one needing special skill with your hands  (In those days people would leave school at fourteen to learn a trade. | be sth by trade (=be trained to do a particular job))  (My grandfather was a plumber by trade. | tools of your trade (=the things that you need to do your job))  (- see job) 5 the trade a particular kind of business, and the people who are involved in it  (I could get Ron to look at your car for you; he works in the trade.) 6 passing trade people who go into a shop, restaurant etc because they see it, but are not regular customers  (Souvenir shops rely mainly on passing trade.)  (- see also stock­in­trade, jack­of­all­trades, tricks of the trade trick1 (5)) ~2 v 1 to buy and sell goods, services etc  (Britain built up her wealth by trading with other countries.) + in  (These companies trade mainly in furs and animal skins.) trade sth  (Salesmen traded the new products all over the country. | trading partner (=a country that buys your goods and sells their goods toyou)) 2 to exist and operate as a business  (The firm now trades under the name Lanski and Weber. | cease trading (=stop being a business)) 3 T usually passive technical to buy or sell something on the stock exchange  (Over a million shares were traded during the day.) 4 trade insults/blows etc informal to insult or hit each other during an argument or fight 5 especially AmE to exchange something you have for something someone else has  (trade sth for)  (I'll trade my Roberto Clemente card for your Hank Aaron one. | We traded necklaces. | I'll trade you spoken (=used to say you want to exchange something))  ("I have peanut butter and jelly today." "Trade you. I have cream cheese.") trade sth down phr v especially AmE to sell something such as a car in order to buy one that costs less trade sth in phr v to give something such as a car to the person you are buying a new one from, so that you pay less  (He traded his old car in for a new model.)  (- see also trade­in) trade sth off phr v to balance one situation or quality against another, in order to produce an acceptable result  (We have to trade off the cost of research against the danger that our competitors will overtake us.)  (- see also trade­off) trade on/upon sth phr v to use a situation or someone's kindness in order to get an advantage for yourself  (If you ask me they're just trading on Sam's good nature.) trade up phr v to give a used item, such as a car, for a similar item which is more expensive or valuable  (trade up sth)  (Diego's traded up his old car for a more expensive model.)