sell

== English == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /sɛl/ Homophones: cel, cell Rhymes: -ɛl === Etymology 1 === From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-. ==== Verb ==== sell (third-person singular simple present sells, present participle selling, simple past and past participle sold) (transitive, ditransitive, intransitive) To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money. Synonyms: peddle, vend; see also Thesaurus:sell Antonyms: buy, purchase; see also Thesaurus:buy (ergative) To be sold. (transitive) To promote (a product or service) although not being paid in any direct way or at all. (transitive) To promote (a particular viewpoint). (transitive) To betray for money or other things. Synonyms: sell the pass, sell down the river, sell out; see also Thesaurus:betray (transitive, slang) To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone. (transitive, professional wrestling, slang) To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act. (slang, intransitive) To throw under the bus; to let down one's own team in an endeavour, especially in a sport or a game. ===== Antonyms ===== buy ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== Chinese Pidgin English: sellum, 些林 (Chinese spelling) Sranan Tongo: seri ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== sell (plural sells) An act of selling; sale. (figurative, by extension) The promotion of an idea for acceptance. An easy task. (colloquial, dated) An imposition, a cheat; a hoax; a disappointment; anything occasioning a loss of pride or dignity. 1922, Katherine Mansfield, The Doll's House (Selected Stories, Oxford World's Classics paperback 2002, 354) What a sell for Lena! ===== Derived terms ===== ==== See also ==== sale === Etymology 2 === From French selle, from Latin sella. ==== Alternative forms ==== selle (obsolete) ==== Noun ==== sell (plural sells) (obsolete) A seat or stool. (archaic) A saddle. === Etymology 3 === From Old Saxon seill or Old Norse seil. Cognate with Dutch zeel (“rope”), German Seil (“rope”). ==== Noun ==== sell (plural sells) (regional, obsolete) A rope (usually for tying up cattle, but can also mean any sort of rope). ===== Derived terms ===== bowsell ==== References ==== The Dictionary of the Scots Language === Anagrams === ELLs, Ells, ells == Breton == === Etymology === From Proto-Celtic *stillom, cognate to Welsh syll and Old Irish sell. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /sɛl/ === Noun === sell m (plural selloù) look, glance == Chinese == === Etymology === From English sell. === Pronunciation === === Verb === sell (Hong Kong Cantonese) to sell; to promote services or products; to promote a viewpoint === See also === sales === References === English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese == Pennsylvania German == === Pronoun === sell that one === Determiner === sell neuter nominative/accusative singular of seller: that ==== Declension ==== == Scots == === Etymology === From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /sɛl/ === Verb === sell (third-person singular simple present sells, present participle sellin, simple past and past participle sellt or sauld) To sell. == Senhaja de Srair == === Alternative forms === tesla (Zerqet) === Etymology === Inherited from Proto-Berber *ăslǝʔ (“to hear, to listen”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /səlː/ === Verb === sell (Tifinagh spelling ⵙⴻⵍⵍ) (intransitive) to hear, to listen ==== Related terms ==== === References === Gutova, Evgeniya; Byler, Jonathan (2025), “Senhaja de Srair - English Dictionary”, in Webonary‎[1], retrieved 2025 Gutova, Evgeniya (2021) Senhaja Berber Varieties: Phonology, Morphology, and Morphosyntax (Thesis)‎[2], Paris, France: HAL