Definition of: trade

(trād) noun
1. A business, particularly a skilled or specialized handicraft; a craft.
2. Mercantile traffic; commerce.
3. A bargain; deal; also, an exchange; specifically, a corrupt bargain in patronage between political–party leaders.
4. The people following a particular calling.
5. The amount of business or exchange done in a particular place; a firm's customers.
6. Customary pursuit; occupation.
7. Brit. a The submarine service of the Royal Navy. b The liquor traffic.
8. Obs. A trail or track.
9. Obs. A course, path, passage, or way.
10. Obs. Custom, habit, or practice.
11. A trade wind: usually in the plural. See synonyms under BUSINESS, SALE, TRAFFIC.
—v. trad·ed, trad·ing v.t. To dispose of by bargain and sale; now, especially, to barter; exchange.
—v.i. To engage in commerce or in business transactions of bargain and sale.
—to trade in To give in exchange as payment or part payment.
—to trade off To get rid of by exchange or trading.
—to trade on To take advantage of. [<MLG, a track. Akin to TREAD.]