buy

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To get something by paying money for it.

   I buy my groceries at the local market every week.

2. 2
   verb

   To accept that something is true.

   I'm sorry, but I just can't buy that excuse.

3. 3
   verb

   To pay someone illegally to do you a favour.

   The criminals tried to buy the local official.

Common collocations

• buy a car Verb + noun
• buy a drink Verb + noun
• buy a house Verb + noun
• buy beer Verb + noun
• buy land Verb + noun
• buy shares Verb + noun

From Middle English byen, from Old English bycġan (“to buy, pay for, acquire, redeem, ransom, procure, get done, sell”), from Proto-West Germanic *buggjan, from Proto-Germanic *bugjaną (“to buy”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰūgʰ- (“to bend”), or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewgʰ- (“to take away, deliver”). Cognate with Scots buy (“to buy, purchase”), obsolete Dutch beugen (“to buy”), Old Saxon buggian, buggean (“to buy”), Old Norse byggja (“to build, settle”), Gothic 𐌱𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (bugjan, “to buy”). The spelling with “u” is from the Southwest, while the pronunciation with…

Topics