- sell
- verb (past and past participle sold)1》 hand over (something) in exchange for money.↘deal in.↘be subject to a specified demand on the market: the book didn't sell well.↘(sell out) sell all of one's stock of something.↘(sell up) Brit. sell all of one's possessions or assets.↘(sell oneself) have sex in exchange for money.2》 persuade someone of the merits of.↘(sell someone on) make someone enthusiastic about.3》 (sell out) abandon one's principles for reasons of expedience.↘(sell someone out) betray someone for one's own financial or material benefit.4》 archaic trick or deceive.noun informal1》 an act of selling or attempting to sell.2》 Brit. a disappointment.Phrasessell someone/thing short fail to recognize or state the true value of someone or something.sell one's soul (to the devil) be willing to do anything, no matter how wrong it is, in order to achieve one's objective.Derivativessellable adjectiveOriginOE sellan (v.), of Gmc origin.
English new terms dictionary. 2014.