sell

verb (past and past participle sold /səʊld/)

• 1give or hand over (something) in exchange for money:they had sold the car the family business had been sold off [with two objects]:I was trying to sell him my butterfly collection
• have a stock of (something) available for sale:the store sells hi-fis, TVs, videos, and other electrical goods
• [no object] be purchased in specified amounts or for a specified price:the album sold 6 million copies in the United States this magazine of yours won’t sell these antiques of the future sell for about £375
• [no object] (sell out) sell all of one’s stock of something:they had nearly sold out of the initial run of 75,000 copies
• [no object] (sell out) be all sold:it was clear that the performances would not sell out
• [no object] (sell through) (of a product) be purchased by a customer from a retail outlet.
• [no object] (sell up) British sell all of one’s property, possessions, or assets:Ernest sold up and retired
• (sell oneself) have sex in exchange for money: if she was going to sell herself then it would be as well not to come too cheap
• [no object] (sell out) abandon one’s principles for reasons of expedience:the prime minister has come under fire for selling out to the United States
• (sell someone out) betray someone for one’s own benefit:the clansmen became tenants and the chiefs sold them out
• archaic offer (something) dishonourably for money or other reward: do not your lawyers sell all their practice, as your priests their prayers?

• 2persuade someone of the merits of:he sold the idea of making a film about Tchaikovsky he just won’t sell himself
• (sell someone on) cause someone to become enthusiastic about:I’m just not sold on the idea

• 3 archaic trick or deceive (someone): what we want is to go out of here quiet, and talk this show up, and sell the rest of the town

noun

• 1an act of selling or attempting to sell something:every other television commercial is a sell for Australian lager

• 2British a disappointment, typically one arising from being deceived as to the merits of something:actually, Hawaii’s a bit of a sell—not a patch on Corfu