buy

verb (buys, buying; past and past participle bought /bɔːt/)

• 1obtain in exchange for payment:she bought six first-class stamps he had been able to buy up hundreds of acres [with two objects]:he bought me a new frock [no object]:homeowners who buy into housing developments
• (buy someone out) pay someone to give up an ownership, interest, or share: when their affair ended, she bought him out
• (buy oneself out) obtain one’s release from the armed services by payment.
• (buy something in) withdraw something at auction because it fails to meet the reserve price.
• procure the loyalty and support of (someone) by bribery:here was a man who could not be bought I’ll buy off the investigators
• [often with negative] be a means of obtaining (something) through exchange or payment:money can’t buy happiness
• get by sacrifice or great effort:greatness is dearly bought
• [no object] be a buyer for a store or firm.

• 2 informal accept the truth of:I am not prepared to buy the claim that the ends justify the means [no object]:I hate to buy into stereotypes

noun

• a purchase:wine is rarely a good buy in duty-free shops
• an act of purchasing something:a drug buy