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trade
3 dictionary results for: trade down
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This
noun, verb, trad⋅ed, trad⋅ing, adjective
trade
[treyd]
noun, verb, trad⋅ed, trad⋅ing, adjective
–noun
–verb (used with object)
–verb (used without object)
–adjective
—Verb phrases
| 1. | the act or process of buying, selling, or exchanging commodities, at either wholesale or retail, within a country or between countries: domestic trade; foreign trade. |
| 2. | a purchase or sale; business deal or transaction. |
| 3. | an exchange of items, usually without payment of money. |
| 4. | any occupation pursued as a business or livelihood. |
| 5. | some line of skilled manual or mechanical work; craft: the trade of a carpenter; printer's trade. |
| 6. | people engaged in a particular line of business: a lecture of interest only to the trade. |
| 7. | market: an increase in the tourist trade. |
| 8. | a field of business activity: a magazine for the furniture trade. |
| 9. | the customers of a business establishment. |
| 10. | Informal. trade paper. |
| 11. | trades. trade wind (def. 1). |
| 12. | to buy and sell; barter; traffic in. |
| 13. | to exchange: to trade seats. |
| 14. | to carry on trade. |
| 15. | to traffic (usually fol. by in): a tyrant who trades in human lives. |
| 16. | to make an exchange. |
| 17. | to make one's purchases; shop; buy. |
| 18. | of or pertaining to trade or commerce. |
| 19. | used by, serving, or intended for a particular trade: trade journal. |
| 20. | Also, trades. of, composed of, or serving the members of a trade: a trade club. |
| 21. | trade down, to exchange a more valuable or desirable item for a less valuable or desirable one. |
| 22. | trade in, to give (a used article) as payment to be credited toward a purchase: We trade in our car every three years. |
| 23. | trade off, to exchange something for or with another. |
| 24. | trade on or upon, to turn to one's advantage, esp. selfishly or unfairly; exploit: to trade on the weaknesses of others. |
| 25. | trade up, to exchange a less valuable or desirable item for a more valuable or desirable one. |
Origin:
1300–50; 1540–50 for def. 4; ME: course, path, track < MLG, MD (OS trada), c. OHG trata; akin to tread
1300–50; 1540–50 for def. 4; ME: course, path, track < MLG, MD (OS trada), c. OHG trata; akin to tread

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
Cite This Source
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
| trade
(trād) Pronunciation Key
n.
v. intr.
trade down To trade something in for something else of lower value or price: bought a new, smaller car, trading the old one down for economy. trade in To surrender or sell (an old or used item), using the proceeds as partial payment on a new purchase. trade on To put to calculated and often unscrupulous advantage; exploit: children of celebrities who trade on their family names. trade up To trade something in for something else of greater value or price: The value of our house soared, enabling us to trade up to a larger place. [Middle English, course, from Middle Low German.] trad'a·ble, trade'a·ble adj. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms - Cite This Source - Share This
trade down
Exchange for something of lower value or price, as in They bought a smaller boat, trading down for the sake of economy. Similarly, trade up means "make an exchange for something of higher value or price," as in They traded up to a larger house. [First half of 1900s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Cite This Source
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