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Entry 14 senses · 4 variants Webster, 1913

Trade

/trād/ · IPA /tɹeɪd/
01 n. A track; a trail; a way; a path; also, passage; travel; resort.
  1. 1.
    A track; a trail; a way; a path; also, passage; travel; resort.[Obs.]
    “A postern with a blind wicket there was, A common trade to pass through Priam's house.” — Surrey.
    “Hath tracted forth some salvage beastes trade.” — Spenser.
    “Or, I'll be buried in the king's highway, Some way of common trade, where subjects' feet May hourly trample on their sovereign's head.” — Shak.
  2. 2.
    Course; custom; practice; occupation; employment.[Obs.]
    “There those five sisters had continual trade.” — Spenser.
    “Long did I love this lady, Long was my travel, long my trade to win her.” — Massinger.
    “Thy sin's not accidental but a trade.” — Shak.
  3. 3.
    Business of any kind; matter of mutual consideration; affair; dealing.[Obs.]
    “Have you any further trade with us?” — Shak.
  4. 4.
    Specifically: The act or business of exchanging commodities by barter, or by buying and selling for money; commerce; traffic; barter.
  5. 5.
    The business which a person has learned, and which he engages in, for procuring subsistence, or for profit; occupation; especially, mechanical employment as distinguished from the liberal arts, the learned professions, and agriculture; as, we speak of the trade of a smith, of a carpenter, or mason, but not now of the trade of a farmer, or a lawyer, or a physician.
    “Accursed usury was all his trade.” — Spenser.
    “The homely, slighted, shepherd's trade.” — Milton.
    “I will instruct thee in my trade.” — Shak.
  6. 6.
    Instruments of any occupation.[Obs.]
    “The house and household goods, his trade of war.” — Dryden.
  7. 7.
    A company of men engaged in the same occupation; thus, booksellers and publishers speak of the customs of the trade, and are collectively designated as the trade.
  8. 8.
    The trade winds.
  9. 9.
    Refuse or rubbish from a mine.[Prov. Eng.]
Phrases & compounds
Board of trade — See under Board.
Trade dollar — See under Dollar.
Trade price — the price at which goods are sold to members of the same trade, or by wholesale dealers to retailers.
Trade sale — an auction by and for the trade, especially that of the booksellers.
Trade wind — a wind in the torrid zone, and often a little beyond at, which blows from the same quarter throughout the year, except when affected by local causes; -- so called because of its usefulness to navigators, and hence to trade.
Syn. Profession; occupation; office; calling; avocation; employment; commerce; dealing; traffic.
02 v. i. To barter, or to buy and sell; to be engaged in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods, wares, merchandise, or anything else; to traffic;…
imp. & p. p. Traded; p. pr. & vb. n. Trading
  1. 1.
    To barter, or to buy and sell; to be engaged in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods, wares, merchandise, or anything else; to traffic; to bargain; to carry on commerce as a business.
    “A free port, where nations . . . resorted with their goods and traded.” — Arbuthnot.
  2. 2.
    To buy and sell or exchange property in a single instance.
  3. 3.
    To have dealings; to be concerned or associated; -- usually followed by with.
    “How did you dare to trade and traffic with Macbeth?” — Shak.
03 v. t. To sell or exchange in commerce; to barter.
  1. 1.
    To sell or exchange in commerce; to barter.
    “They traded the persons of men.” — Ezek. xxvii. 13.
    “To dicker and to swop, to trade rifles and watches.” — Cooper.
04 imp. imp. of Tread.
  1. 1.
    imp. of Tread.obs. See: Tread