Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

trying to reach an agreement with another group in a business or political situation: As a cash buyer, youll have greater bargaining power.

'bargaining,unit noun [c] (HR) in the US, a group of workers who are recognized as a separate part of a union in discussions about wages, etc. bargaining agent

'bar graph = bar chart

barista /ba:'ri:sta; -'ris-; has-/ noun [c] a person who works in a bar, especially a coffee bar, serving drinks to customers

barometer /ba'rDmita(r); AmE -'ra:m-/ noun [C] something that shows the changes that are happening in an economic, social or political situation: Retail sales figures act as a barometer of the country's economic health.

baron /'baeran/ noun [C] a person who owns or controls a large part of a particular industry

О о media/newspaper/oil/press/tobacco baron

VOCABULARY BUILDING

baron/magnate/mogul/tycoon

Newspapers tend to use limited combinations of words to describe people in particular industries who are very powerful and wealthy. The most common include:

a media/newspaper/press baron

a media/property/shipping magnate

a media/movie/TV mogul

a media/an oil/a property tycoon

barrel /'baeral/ noun [c]

a large, round container, usually made of wood or metal, with flat ends and, usually, curved sides; the amount that such a container holds—Picture at transport

a unit of measurement in the oil industry equal to between 120 and 159 litres: Oil prices rose to $60 a barrel, о The forecast for global oil demand is 76 m barrels a day.

a unit of measurement used in the beer-making (brewing) industry equal to about 164 litres

barrier /'baeria(r)/ noun [c]

see also: entry barrier, exit non-tariff trade ~

a problem, rule or situation that prevents sb from doing sth, or that makes sth impossible: The policy protected farmers by setting up barriers against imports, о The company denied that there are any artificial barriers to promotion.

something that exists between one thing or person and another and keeps them separate: We need to remove unnecessary barriers between management and the workforce.

.barrier to 'entry (plural barriers to entry) (also 'entry .barrier) noun [c]

(Economics) something that makes it difficult for a company to start competing in a particular kind of business, for example high cost or advanced technology: E-commerce is an industry with relatively low barriers to entry (= it is simple and cheap to start doing it).

.barrier to 'exit (plural barriers to exit) (also "exit .barrier) noun [c]

1 (Economics) something that makes it difficult for a company to leave an area of business, for example government rules or the cost of stopping employing staff: high barriers to exit о The presence

barrister 42

of a variety of barriers to exit influenced the timingand selection of plants that were closed.2 something that makes it difficult for a customer to stop using a particular brand of goods or for sb to change their job, etc: We can create an experience for our customers that creates barriers to exit and keeps them loyal. barrister /'baerista(r)/ noun [C] {Law) a lawyer in the UK who has the right to argue cases in the higher courts See note at profession

barter /'ba:ta(r); AmE "ba:rt-/ verb, noun {Commerce; Economics)

verb [+ obj or no obj]

to exchange goods, property, services, etc. for other goods without using money: The farmers try to sell or barter whatever they grow.

noun [U]

the exchange of goods, property, services, etc. for other goods without using money: The two countries have agreed to exchange certain goods on a barter system. -> countertrade

base /beis/ noun, verb

noun [C]

see also: asset base, client consumer cost customer installed knowledge etc.

the main place where a business operates from: The company has its base in Paris, and branch offices all over the world.

the people, activity, etc. from which sb/sth gets most of their support, income, power, etc: an economy with a solid manufacturing base о Our firm needs to build up its consumer base.