sale

American  

[seyl] / seɪl /

noun

1. the act of selling. sell. selling.

2. a quantity sold. sell. sold.

3. opportunity to sell; demand.

   slow sale.

4. a special disposal of goods, as at reduced prices.

5. transfer of property for money or credit.

6. an auction.

---

idioms

1. on sale, able to be bought at reduced prices.

2. for sale, offered to be sold; made available to purchasers.

sale ¹ British  

/ seɪl /

noun

1. the exchange of goods, property, or services for an agreed sum of money or credit

2. the amount sold

3. the opportunity to sell; market

   there was no sale for luxuries

4. the rate of selling or being sold

   a slow sale of synthetic fabrics

5. 1. an event at which goods are sold at reduced prices, usually to clear old stocks

   2. ( as modifier )

      sale bargains

6. an auction

---

Sale ² British  

/ seɪl /

noun

1. a town in NW England, in Trafford unitary authority, Greater Manchester: a residential suburb of Manchester. Pop: 55 234 (2001)

2. a city in SE Australia, in SE Victoria: centre of an agricultural region. Pop: 12 854 (2001)

---

Salé ³ British  

/ sale /

noun

1. a port in NW Morocco, on the Atlantic adjoining Rabat. Pop: 880 000 (2003)

---

sale More Idioms  

1. see close the sale; on sale; white sale.

---

Other Word Forms

• intersale noun
• nonsale noun
• subsale noun

Etymology

Origin of sale

First recorded before 1050; Middle English; late Old English sala; cognate with Old Norse, Old High German sala; sell ¹

Example Sentences

The uptick in searches follows a year when sales of existing homes hit a 31-year low.

From MarketWatch

Some analysts are now intrigued by the possibility of a breakup or outright sale of the company.

From MarketWatch

But something more structural and long-term has been unfolding, something that looks far less like a one-off weapons sale and more like a long-term service contract.

From MarketWatch

But under a legal precedent established in the 1980s, companies that dig deeper into their supply chains can report what was paid in the “first sale.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Brad Reese spent his early childhood in Hershey, Pa. Immediately after the sale, his newly moneyed parents moved the family to Minneapolis.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• auction
• business
• buying
• deal
• demand
• marketing
• purchase
• reduction
• selling
• trade
• transaction