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.

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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

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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)

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Salé ³ British  

/ sale /

noun

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

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sale More Idioms  

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

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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 London-based oil major said the sale is a "milestone" in its plans to overhaul its business and strip out costs.

From BBC

Business confidence surveys suggest that while many small-business owners are anxious, they are cautiously optimistic about holiday sales.

From Barron's

Excluding volatile trade and inventory swings, real final sales to private domestic purchasers rose 3%, indicating strong underlying demand.

From Barron's

The Treasury would then have a greater say over large-scale asset purchases and sales by the Fed, known respectively as quantitative easing and quantitative tightening, Warsh previously told Barron’s.

From Barron's

And they’ve reported strong sales to international destinations and in premium classes this year, even as domestic and main-cabin sales softened.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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