sell Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the activity of persuading someone to buy
    • it was a hard sell
  2. verb exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
    • He sold his house in January
    • She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit
  3. verb be sold at a certain price or in a certain way
    • These books sell like hot cakes
  4. verb persuade somebody to accept something
    • The French try to sell us their image as great lovers
  5. verb do business; offer for sale as for one's livelihood
    deal; trade.
    • She deals in gold
    • The brothers sell shoes
  6. verb give up for a price or reward
    • She sold her principles for a successful career
  7. verb be approved of or gain acceptance
    • The new idea sold well in certain circles
  8. verb be responsible for the sale of
    • All her publicity sold the products
  9. verb deliver to an enemy by treachery
    betray.
    • Judas sold Jesus
    • The spy betrayed his country

WordNet

Sell noun
Definitions
  1. Self. Obs. or Scot. B. Jonson.
Sell noun
Definitions
  1. A sill. Obs. Chaucer.
Sell noun
Definitions
  1. A cell; a house. Obs. Chaucer.
Sell noun
Etymology
F. selle, L. sella, akin to sedere to sit. See Sit.
Definitions
  1. A saddle for a horse. Obs.
    He left his lofty steed with golden self. Spenser.
  2. A throne or lofty seat. Obs. Fairfax.
Sell transitive verb
Etymology
OE. sellen, sillen, AS. sellan, syllan, to give, to deliver; akin to OS. sellian, OFries. sella, OHG. sellen, Icel. selja to hand over, to sell, Sw. sälja to sell, Dan. slge, Goth. saljan to offer a sacrifice; all from a noun akin to E. sale. Cf. Sale.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Sold ; present participle & verbal noun Selling
Definitions
  1. To transfer to another for an equivalent; to give up for a valuable consideration; to dispose of in return for something, especially for money.
    If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor. Matt. xix. 21.
    I am changed; I'll go sell all my land. Shak.
    ✍ Sell is corellative to buy, as one party buys what the other sells. It is distinguished usually from exchange or barter, in which one commodity is given for another; whereas in selling the consideration is usually money, or its representative in current notes.
  2. To make a matter of bargain and sale of; to accept a price or reward for, as for a breach of duty, trust, or the like; to betray.
    You would have sold your king to slaughter. Shak.
  3. To impose upon; to trick; to deceive; to make a fool of; to cheat. Slang Dickens.
Sell intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To practice selling commodities.
    I will buy with you, sell with you; . . . but I will not eat with you. Shak.
  2. To be sold; as, corn sells at a good price.
Sell noun
Definitions
  1. An imposition; a cheat; a hoax. Colloq.

Webster 1913