baɪ v. & n. --v. (buys, buying;
past and past
part. bought) 1 tr. a
obtain in
exchange for money etc. b (usu. in neg.)
serve to obtain (money can't buy happiness). 2 tr. a
procure (the
loyalty etc.) of a
person by bribery, promises, etc. b
win over (a person) in
this way. 3 tr.
get by
sacrifice,
great effort, etc. (dearly
bought; bought
with our sweat). 4 tr. sl.
accept,
believe in,
approve of (it's a
good scheme, I'll buy
it; he bought it, he's so gullible). 5 absol. be a
buyer for a
store etc. (buys for Selfridges; are
you buying or selling?). --n. colloq. a
purchase (that
sofa was a good buy). øbest buy
the purchase giving the
best value in
proportion to
its price; a
bargain. buy in 1 buy a
stock of. 2
withdraw (an item) at
auction because of
failure to
reach the
reserve price. buy
into obtain a share in (an enterprise) by
payment. buy it (usu. in past) sl. be killed. buy
off get
rid of (a
claim, a
claimant, a blackmailer) by payment. buy
oneself out obtain one's
release (esp.
from the armed services) by payment. buy out pay (a person) to
give up an ownership,
interest, etc. buy-out n. the purchase of a controlling share in a
company etc. buy over
bribe. buy
time delay an
event,
conclusion,
etc., temporarily. buy up 1 buy as
much as
possible of. 2
absorb (another firm etc.) by purchase. [OE bycgan f. Gmc]
