Oxford Business English Dictionary for Learners of English

the process of following the movements of materials, goods or stocks of items: If only one of your boxes arrives, email us and well put a trace on the shipment.

track /traek/ noun, verb

noun [C]

see also: fast track, inside track

trade /treid/ noun, verb

noun

see also: balance of trade, fair free insider invisible passing stock-in-~, terms of visible ~

[u] the activity of buying and selling or of exchanging goods or services between people or countries: Trade between the two countries has increased, о global trade in electronic equipment о The US was accused of unfair trade practices.

[C] a particular type of business: It has been a bad year for the retail trade, о the building/tourist trade

the trade [sing, with sing./pl. verb] a particular area of business and the people or companies that are connected with it: In the trade, this sort of computer is called a 'client-based system', о a trade magazine/journal

[u] the amount of goods or services that you sell: Trade was very good last month, о Domestic companies are losing trade to foreign importers.

[u,C] a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and that requires special training and skills: He's a designer by trade, о to learn a trade

(Stock Exchange) [и; C, usually pi.] buying and selling on a stock exchange; one act of doing this: The share price fell 30% in early afternoon trade, о a 20% reduction in daily trades on the stock exchange

idioms at ply, roaring

WHICH WORD?

trade/business/industry

These words are combined with other nouns to describe particular areas of commercial activity, but they tend to be used in different contexts.

Business is often used when talking about the activities of particular individuals or companies: I always knew I wanted to work in the restaurant business, о The company has returned to what it knows best: the car business.

Industry is common when talking about the economy: The country is trying to rebuild its oil industry.

Trade is combined with only a small number of nouns. It is used especially about traditional types of business, for example: the art/book trade о the retail trade (= running a shop/store, supermarket, etc.). It is also the word used when describing illegal forms of business: the illegal diamonds/ drugs trade

See note at business

• verb

[no obj] to buy and sell things: companies that trade in agricultural products о The euro has made it easier for European countries to trade with each other.

[no obj] to exist and operate as a business or company: The firm has now ceased trading. oRodine Limited now trades as Harvest Software.

(Stock Exchange) [+ obj or no obj] to be bought and sold, or to buy and sell sth, on the stock exchange: Shares were trading at half their usual value.

[+ obj] to exchange sth that you have for sth that sb else has: He earns a lot of money but I wouldn't trade places with him.

ШЗЗ 'trade at sth (AmE) to buy goods or shop at a particular store .trade 'down to spend less money on things than you did before: The survey showed that consumers are unwilling to trade down to cheaper cosmetics when times are hard, .trade sth 'in (for sth) to give sth you have used as part of the payment for sth new: People can trade in their old PCs for the latest model, .trade sth 'off to balance two things or situations that are opposed to each other: You sometimes need to trade price off against quality. & tradf.-off ,trade 'up 1 to sell sth in order to buy sth more expensive: Many drivers are trading up to a four-wheel drive. 2 to give sth you have used as part of the payment for sth more expensive

tradeable = tradable