buy
vb , buys, buying, bought mainly tr
1 to acquire by paying or promising to pay a sum of money or the equivalent; purchase
2 to be capable of purchasing
money can't buy love
3 to acquire by any exchange or sacrifice
to buy time by equivocation
5 to bribe or corrupt; hire by or as by bribery
6 Slang to accept as true, practical, etc.
7 intr; foll by: into to purchase shares of (a company)
we bought into General Motors
8 tr (Theol) (esp. of Christ) to ransom or redeem (a Christian or the soul of a Christian)
9 ♦
have bought it
Slang to be killed
n
10 a purchase (often in the phrases good or bad buy),
(See also)
→
buy in →
buy into →
buy off →
buy out →
buy up (Old English bycgan; related to Old Norse byggja to let out, lend, Gothic bugjan to buy) The use of off after buy as in I bought this off my neighbour was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable in informal contexts
bring-and-buy sale
n (Brit. and N.Z.) an informal sale, often conducted for charity, to which people bring items for sale and buy those that others have brought
buy-back
n (Commerce) the repurchase by a company of some or all of its shares from an investor, who acquired them by putting venture capital into the company when it was formed
buy in
vb adv
1 tr to buy back for the owner (an item in an auction) at or below the reserve price
2 intr to purchase shares in a company
3 intr to buy goods or securities on the open market against a defaulting seller, charging this seller with any market differences
4 tr (Also)
buy into (U.S.)
informal to pay money to secure a position or place for (someone, esp. oneself) in some organization, esp. a business or club
5 to purchase (goods, etc.) in large quantities
to buy in for the winter
n
♦
buy-in
6 the purchase of a company by a manager or group who does not work for that company
buy into
vb intr, prep
1 to agree with or accept as valid (an argument, theory, etc.)
2 (Austral. and N.Z.)
informal to get involved in (an argument, fight, etc.)
buy off
vb tr, adv to pay (a person or group) to drop a charge, end opposition, relinquish a claim, etc.
buy out
vb tr, adv
1 to purchase the ownership, controlling interest, shares, etc., of (a company, etc.)
2 to gain the release of (a person) from the armed forces by payment of money
3 to pay (a person) once and for all to give up (property, interest, etc.)
n
♦
buyout
4 the purchase of a company, esp. by its former management or staff
See also →
leveraged buyout →
management buyout
buy up
vb tr, adv
1 to purchase all, or all that is available, of (something)
2 (Commerce) to purchase a controlling interest in (a company, etc.), as by the acquisition of shares