market

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold

   without competition there would be no market

2. 2
   noun

   a marketplace where groceries are sold

   the grocery store included a meat market

3. 3
   noun

   the securities markets in the aggregate

   the market always frustrates the small investor

4. 4
   noun

   the customers for a particular product or service

   before they publish any book they try to determine the size of the market for it

5. 5
   verb

   engage in the commercial promotion, sale, or distribution of

   The company is marketing its new line of beauty products

6. 6
   verb

   buy household supplies

   We go marketing every Saturday

7. 7
   noun

   A gathering of people for the purchase and sale of merchandise, often periodic at a set time.

   The right to hold a weekly market was an invaluable privilege not given to all towns in the Middle Ages.

8. 8
   noun

   A relatively spacious outdoor or covered site where traders set up stalls, either temporarily or permanently or semi-permanently, and buyers browse the merchandise.

   This site on North Street used to be the market, until it was redeveloped.

Etymology

From Middle English market, from late Old English market (“market”) and Anglo-Norman markiet (Old French marchié); all ultimately from Latin mercātus (“trade, market”), from mercor (“to trade, deal in, buy”), itself derived from merx (“wares, merchandise”). Cognate with West Frisian merk (“market”), Dutch markt, Old High German Markt, German Markt, Danish and Norwegian marked (“market”), Faroese and Icelandic markaður (“market”), Swedish marknad (“market”).