Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - market

 I. noun  Usage: often attributive  Etymology: Middle English, probably from Continental GMC; akin to Old Saxon markat ~place, Old High German marcat, both ultimately from Latin mercatus trade, ~place, from mercari to trade, from merc-, merx merchandise  Date: 12th century  1.  a.  (1) a meeting together of people for the purpose of trade by private purchase and sale and usually not by auction  (2) the people assembled at such a meeting  b.  (1) a public place where a ~ is held; especially a place where provisions are sold at wholesale a farmers' ~  (2) a retail establishment usually of a specified kind a fish ~  2. archaic the act or an instance of buying and selling  3. the rate or price offered for a commodity or security  4.  a.  (1) a geographic area of demand for commodities or services  (2) a specified category of potential buyers the youth ~  b. the course of commercial activity by which the exchange of commodities is effected ; extent of demand the ~ is dull  c.  (1) an opportunity for selling a good ~ for used cars  (2) the available supply of or potential demand for specified goods or services the labor ~  d. the area of economic activity in which buyers and sellers come together and the forces of supply and demand affect prices producing goods for ~ rather than for consumption  II. verb  Date: 15th century  transitive verb  1. to expose for sale in a ~  2. sell  intransitive verb to deal in a ~