stock in trade

American  

Or stock-in-trade

noun

1. the requisites for carrying on a business, especially goods kept on hand for sale in a store.

2. resources or abilities peculiar to an individual or group or employed for a specific purpose.

   A feeling for language should be part of the stock in trade of any writer.

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stock in trade British  

noun

1. goods in stock necessary for carrying on a business

2. anything constantly used by someone as a part of his profession, occupation, or trade

   friendliness is the salesman's stock in trade

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Etymology

Origin of stock in trade

First recorded in 1660–70

Example Sentences

But the company has also been accused of overhyping the powers of a technology which is its stock in trade, and the subject of fierce competition with rival OpenAI.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

As a fighter whose stock in trade is the knockout, British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion Fabio Wardley feels he can't criticise people for craving a spectacle he very much wants to supply.

From BBC • May 8, 2024

Late hours are amenable to talk, whether serious or silly, and talk is the series’ stock in trade.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2023

That is the stock in trade of state, local and county prosecutors as opposed to federal prosecutors.

From Salon • Oct. 17, 2022

Deuterons being the Rad Lab’s stock in trade, Lawrence commanded, “Let’s try it out.”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik