seɪl n. 1
the exchange of a
commodity for money etc.; an
act or
instance of selling. 2 the
amount sold (the sales
were enormous). 3 the
rapid disposal of goods at reduced prices for a
period esp. at the
end of a
season etc. 4 a an
event at
which goods are sold. b a
public auction. øon (or for) sale offered for
purchase. sale of
work an event
where goods
made by parishioners etc. are sold for
charity. sale or
return an
arrangement by which a purchaser takes a
quantity of goods
with the
right of returning
surplus goods
without payment. sale-ring a
circle of buyers at an auction. sales
clerk US a
salesman or saleswoman in a
shop. sales
department etc. the
section of a firm
concerned with selling as opposed to manufacturing or dispatching goods. sales
engineer a
salesperson with
technical knowledge of the goods
and their market. sales
resistance the
opposition or
apathy of a
prospective customer etc. to be
overcome by
salesmanship. sales
talk persuasive talk to
promote the sale of goods or the
acceptance of an
idea etc. sales
tax a tax on sales or on the receipts
from sales. [OE sala f. ON]
