{
    "term": "sell",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "sell",
            "heSheIt": "sells"
        },
        "pastSimple": "sold",
        "pastParticiple": "sold",
        "ingForm": "selling"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to give something to somebody in exchange for money",
            "sensetop": "sell (something)sell something to somebodysell something to somebody for somethingsell somebody something (for something)sell something at somethingsell at something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I recently sold my bike.",
                    "contextForm": "sell (something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His parents went bankrupt and the family had to sell their home."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The board agreed to sell the company."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The shares were sold in the open market."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We offered them a good price but they wouldn't sell."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The council is **planning to sell** the land to developers for housing.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something to somebody"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I sold my car to James for £800.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something to somebody for something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I sold James my car for £800.",
                    "contextForm": "sell somebody something (for something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They **sold** the business **at a profit/loss** *(= they gained/lost money when they sold it)*.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something at something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They sold at a loss.",
                    "contextForm": "sell at something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "They never buy more than they can **sell at a good price**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It will be hard to sell 3 000 tickets."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The company has been forced to sell land to recoup some of the losses."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The painting was sold at auction for $11.3 million."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The property proved hard to sell."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They are still trying to sell their house."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This medicine is sold over the counter."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Your broker has the right to sell your shares."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Shopping", "Business", "Money", "Houses and homes"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["cheaply"],
                "verb + sell": ["be able to", "can", "want to"],
                "preposition": ["at", "for", "to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "sell something at a discount",
                    "sell something at a loss",
                    "sell something at a premium"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to offer something for people to buy",
            "sensetop": "sell somethingsell something for/at something",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Most supermarkets sell a range of organic products.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Do you sell stamps?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to sell insurance"
                },
                {
                    "text": "His books are sold worldwide."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She decided to sell her work in order to support her family."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They **began selling** spectacles in 1783."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We sell these little notebooks at €1 each.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something for/at something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Many banks are willing to buy and sell shares on behalf of customers."
                },
                {
                    "text": "90 percent of the goods sold in its stores were made in Britain."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Increasing numbers of drugs are licensed to be sold over the counter."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Shopping"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["cheaply"],
                "verb + sell": ["be able to", "can", "want to"],
                "preposition": ["at", "for", "to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "sell something at a discount",
                    "sell something at a loss",
                    "sell something at a premium"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to be bought by people in the way or in the numbers mentioned; to be offered at the price mentioned",
            "sensetop": "sell somethingsell for/at something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The book sold well and was reprinted many times."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The new design just didn't sell *(= nobody bought it)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The magazine sells 300 000 copies a week.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their last album sold millions."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The novel was expected to sell between 1 000 and 1 500 copies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The pens sell for just 50p each.",
                    "contextForm": "sell for/at something"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["cheaply"],
                "verb + sell": ["be able to", "can", "want to"],
                "preposition": ["at", "for", "to"],
                "phrases": [
                    "sell something at a discount",
                    "sell something at a loss",
                    "sell something at a premium"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to make people want to buy something",
            "sensetop": "sell something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "You may not like it but advertising sells."
                },
                {
                    "text": "It is quality not price that sells our products.",
                    "contextForm": "sell something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to persuade somebody that something is a good idea, service, product, etc.; to persuade somebody that you are the right person for a job, position, etc.",
            "sensetop": "sell something/yourself (to somebody)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Now we have to try and sell the idea to management."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You really have to sell yourself at a job interview."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to accept money or a reward from somebody for doing something that is against your principles",
            "sensetop": "sell yourself (to somebody)",
            "labels": "(disapproving)",
            "examples": [],
            "synonyms": "prostitute"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be very enthusiastic about something",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We were really sold on the idea."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be bought quickly or in great numbers",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have sex with somebody in exchange for money",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to give poor or unfair treatment to somebody you have promised to help",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [],
            "synonyms": "betray"
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to sell a country's assets, such as land or property, to foreign owners",
            "labels": "(Australian English, New Zealand English, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The government is happy to keep selling off the farm."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to sell somebody something/to buy something that has no value or is worth much less than the price paid",
            "labels": "(British English, old-fashioned, informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to not value somebody/yourself highly enough and show this by the way you treat or present them/yourself",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to do anything, even something really bad or dishonest, in return for money, success or power",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/sel/",
                "audio": "se/sell/sell__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/selz/",
                "audio": "se/sell/sells__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səʊld/",
                "audio": "so/sell/sold__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈselɪŋ/",
                "audio": "se/sell/selling__gb_1.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/sel/",
                "audio": "se/sell/sell__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/selz/",
                "audio": "se/sell/sells__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/səʊld/",
                "audio": "so/sell/sold__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈselɪŋ/",
                "audio": "se/sell/selling__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English sellan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse selja ‘give up, sell’. Early use included the sense ‘give, hand (something) over voluntarily following a request’."
}