an occupation, profession, or trade: His business is poultry farming.
2.
the purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit.
3.
a person, partnership, or corporation engaged in commerce, manufacturing, or a service; profit-seeking enterprise or concern.
4.
volume of trade; patronage: Most of the store's business comes from local families.
5.
a building or site where commercial work is carried on, as a factory, store, or office; place of work: His business is on the corner of Broadway and Elm Street.
6.
that with which a person is principally and seriously concerned: Words are a writer's business.
7.
something with which a person is rightfully concerned: What they are doing is none of my business.
8.
affair; project: We were exasperated by the whole business.
9.
an assignment or task; chore: It's your business to wash the dishes now.
10.
Also called piece of business, stage business.Theater. a movement or gesture, esp. a minor one, used by an actor to give expressiveness, drama, detail, etc., to a scene or to help portray a character.
11.
excrement: used as a euphemism.
–adjective
12.
of, noting, or pertaining to business, its organization, or its procedures.
13.
containing, suitable for, or welcoming business or commerce: New York is a good business town.
—Idioms
14.
business is business, profit has precedence over personal considerations: He is reluctant to fire his friend, but business is business.
15.
do one's business, (usually of an animal or child) to defecate or urinate: housebreaking a puppy to do his business outdoors.
16.
get down to business, to apply oneself to serious matters; concentrate on work: They finally got down to business and signed the contract.
17.
give someone the business, Informal.
a.
to make difficulties for someone; treat harshly: Instead of a straight answer they give him the business with a needless run-around.
b.
to scold severely; give a tongue-lashing to: The passengers will give the bus driver the business if he keeps driving so recklessly.
18.
have no business, to have no right: You have no business coming into this house.
19.
mean business, to propose to take action or be serious in intent; be in earnest: By the fire in his eye we knew that he meant business.
20.
mind one's own business, to refrain from meddling in the affairs of others: When he inquired about the noise coming from the neighbor's apartment, he was told to mind his own business.
The occupation, work, or trade in which a person is engaged: the wholesale food business.
A specific occupation or pursuit: the best designer in the business.
One's rightful or proper concern or interest: "The business of America is business"(Calvin Coolidge).
Something involving one personally: It's none of my business.
Commercial, industrial, or professional dealings: new systems now being used in business.
A commercial enterprise or establishment: bought his uncle's business.
Volume or amount of commercial trade: Business had fallen off.
Commercial dealings; patronage: took her business to a trustworthy salesperson.
One's rightful or proper concern or interest: "The business of America is business"(Calvin Coolidge).
Something involving one personally: It's none of my business.
Serious work or endeavor: got right down to business.
An affair or matter: "We will proceed no further in this business"(Shakespeare).
An incidental action performed by an actor on the stage to fill a pause between lines or to provide interesting detail.
Informal Verbal abuse; scolding: gave me the business for being late.
Obsolete The condition of being busy.
[Middle English businesse, from bisi, busy; see busy.]
Synonyms: These nouns apply to forms of activity that have the objective of supplying commodities. Business pertains broadly to commercial, financial, and industrial activity: decided to go into the oil business. Industry entails the production and manufacture of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale: the computer industry. Commerce and trade refer to the exchange and distribution of goods or commodities: laws regulating interstate commerce; involved in the domestic fur trade. Traffic pertains in particular to businesses engaged in the transportation of goods or passengers: renovated the docks to attract shipping traffic.
The word may also suggest illegal trade: discovered a brisk traffic in stolen goods. See Also Synonyms at affair.
O.E. bisignisse (Northumbrian) "care, anxiety," from bisig "careful, anxious, busy, occupied" (see busy) + -ness. Sense of "work, occupation" is first recorded 1387. Sense of "trade, commercial engagements" is first attested 1727. Modern two-syllable pronunciation is 17c. Business card first attested 1840.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it; "he bought his brother's business"; "a small mom-and-pop business"; "a racially integrated business concern"
2.
the activity of providing goods and services involving financial and commercial and industrial aspects; "computers are now widely used in business" [syn: commercial enterprise]
3.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money; "he's not in my line of business" [syn: occupation]
4.
a rightful concern or responsibility; "it's none of your business"; "mind your own business"
5.
an immediate objective; "gossip was the main business of the evening"
6.
the volume of commercial activity; "business is good today"; "show me where the business was today"
7.
business concerns collectively; "Government and business could not agree"
8.
customers collectively; "they have an upper class clientele" [syn: clientele]
9.
incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious"
Busi"ness\, n.; pl. Businesses. [From Busy.]1. That which busies one, or that which engages the time, attention, or labor of any one, as his principal concern or interest, whether for a longer or shorter time; constant employment; regular occupation; as, the business of life; business before pleasure. Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? --Luke ii. 49. 2. Any particular occupation or employment engaged in for livelihood or gain, as agriculture, trade, art, or a profession. "The business of instruction." --Prescott. 3. Financial dealings; buying and selling; traffic in general; mercantile transactions. It seldom happens that men of a studious turn acquire any degree of reputation for their knowledge of business. --Bp. Popteus. 4. That which one has to do or should do; special service, duty, or mission. The daughter of the King of France, On serious business, craving quick despatch, Importunes personal conference. --Shak. What business has the tortoise among the clouds? --L'Estrange. 5. Affair; concern; matter; -- used in an indefinite sense, and modified by the connected words. It was a gentle business, and becoming The action of good women. --Shak. Bestow Your needful counsel to our business. --Shak. 6. (Drama) The position, distribution, and order of persons and properties on the stage of a theater, as determined by the stage manager in rehearsal. 7. Care; anxiety; diligence. [Obs.] --Chaucer. To do one's business, to ruin one. [Colloq.] --Wycherley. To make (a thing) one's business, to occupy one's self with a thing as a special charge or duty. [Colloq.] To mean business, to be earnest. [Colloq.] Syn: Affairs; concern; transaction; matter; engagement; employment; calling; occupation; trade; profession; vocation; office; duty.
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