From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots sell (“to sell”), Danish sælge (“to sell”), Norwegian Bokmål selge (“to sell”), Norwegian Nynorsk selja, selje (“to sell”), Swedish sälja (“to sell”), Faroese and Icelandic selja (“to sell”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (saljan, “to pay tribute, make an offer”).
Meanings
An act of selling; sale.
Now the easiest sell in traveldom is made even easier. 1963, American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA Travel News, volume 32, page 55:
(broadly, figuratively) The promotion of an idea for acceptance.
This is going to be a tough sell.
An easy task.
(colloquial, dated) An imposition, a cheat; a hoax; a disappointment; anything occasioning a loss of pride or dignity.
"Of course a miracle may happen, and you may be a great painter, but you must confess the chances are a million to one against it. It'll be an awful sell if at the end you have to acknowledge you've made a hash of it." 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 12”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
What a sell for Lena! 1922, Katherine Mansfield, The Doll's House (Selected Stories, Oxford World's Classics paperback 2002, 354)
From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-.
Cognates
Cognate with Scots sell (“to sell”), Danish sælge (“to sell”), Norwegian Bokmål selge (“to sell”), Norwegian Nynorsk selja, selje (“to sell”), Swedish sälja (“to sell”), Faroese and Icelandic selja (“to sell”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (saljan, “to pay tribute, make an offer”).
Meanings
(ditransitive, intransitive, transitive) To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 19:21:
Sorry, I'm not prepared to sell.
I'll sell you three books for a hundred dollars.
No sooner has a [synthetic] drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one. These “legal highs” are sold for the few months it takes the authorities to identify and ban them, and then the cycle begins again. 2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
She sold her old car very quickly.
(ergative) To be sold.
This old stock will never sell.
The corn sold for a good price.
(transitive) To promote (a product or service) although not being paid in any direct way or at all.
Howard: You're gonna feel terrible when I'm in a wheelchair. Which, by the way, would fit easily in the back of this award-winning minivan.
Bernadette: Fine, we'll go to the E.R. Just stop selling me on the van.
Howard: You're right. It sells itself. 2016, “The Fetal Kick Catalyst”, in The Big Bang Theory:
(transitive) To promote (a particular viewpoint).
My boss is very old-fashioned and I'm having a lot of trouble selling the idea of working at home occasionally.
(transitive) To betray for money or other things.
(slang, transitive) To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.
Raul Meireles was the victim of the home side's hustling on this occasion giving the ball away to the impressive David Vaughan who slipped in Taylor-Fletcher. The striker sold Daniel Agger with the best dummy of the night before placing his shot past keeper Pepe Reina. 2011 January 12, Saj Chowdhury, “Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC:
House was jammed again that night, and we sold this crowd the same way. 1884, Mark Twain, chapter XXIII, in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
Then weaues
Other crosse-plots
New tricks for safety, are sought;
They thriue: When, bold,
Each tempt's th'other againe, and all are sold. 1605 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, Ben: Ionson His Volpone or The Foxe, [London]: […] [George Eld] for Thomas Thorppe, published 1607, →OCLC, (please specify the Internet Archive page):
(slang, transitive) To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
(intransitive, slang) To throw under the bus; to let down one's own team in an endeavour, especially in a sport or a game.
si විකුණනවා (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kw gwertha (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · inh дохка (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es buscar (to promote a particular viewpoint) · sc bèndiri (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · qu rantikuy (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lad vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · oc vendre (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi huiputtaa (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · za gai (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · uz sotmoq (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mn худалдах (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tyv садар (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ja 売る (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · pl sprzedać (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu elkel (to be sold) · qu qhatuy (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · uk прода́ти (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lmo vend (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kea bendi (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ru продава́ться (to be sold) · it vendere (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · it circuire (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · ta வில் (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · scn vìnniri (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lb verkafen (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · zh 被賣出 /被卖出 (to be sold) · ka გაყიდვა (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lus hralh (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cs prodat (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fur vendi (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · id menjual (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · no få solgt (to be sold) · grc πιπράσκω (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sh pròdati (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es salir (to be sold) · xag 𐔸𐕒𐔲𐕒𐕡𐔳𐔰𐕘𐔴𐕚𐕒𐕡𐕎 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tt сатарга (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg продам се (to be sold) · mba baligya (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu árusít (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · km លក់ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · it vendersi (to be sold) · ko 팔다 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · rhg bes- (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mos koose (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bho बेचल (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · oc vénder (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hy ծախվել (to be sold) · eo vendiĝi (to be sold) · tyv саттынар (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kab enz (to be sold) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌱𐌿𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · pa ਵੇਚਣਾ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · qu ranqhay (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cmn 賣 /卖 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de beschwindeln (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · am መሸጥ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg продавам се (to be sold) · yue 賣 /卖 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sh прода́вати (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · txb plänk- (to be sold) · grc πωλέω (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cs prodávat (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es fingir (professional wrestling: to act) · lad ב׳ינדיר (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ru прода́ть (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · gur koose (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hi बिकना (to be sold) · cmn 售 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sk predávať (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cmn 贩卖 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sl prodati (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kg kuteka (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lus zuar (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tk satmak (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sk predať (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · as বিকা (to be sold) · uk продава́ти (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · af verkoop (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sh prodávati (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · el πουλάω (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu pénzzé tesz (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es intentar (to promote a particular viewpoint) · hu árul (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · gl vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg продавам (to betray someone for money) · ext vendel (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · oj adaawaage (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cs prodávat se (to be sold) · nan-hbl 賣 /卖 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bo འཚོང (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sl prodajati (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de verkaufen (to promote a particular viewpoint) · kaw dol (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · as বিক্ৰী কৰ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · pt vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fa-ira فُروخْتَن (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · rom bikinel (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es actuar (professional wrestling: to act) · tr satmak (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de verkaufen (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · be прадава́ць (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fr se vendre (to be sold) · kk сатпақ болу (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · eu saldu (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de beschummeln (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · om gurguruu (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tab масу тувуб (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · os ауӕй кӕнын (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · uk продава́тися (to be sold) · rup vindu (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · id jual (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · blt ꪄꪱꪥ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sq shes (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · to fakatau (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · la vēneō (to be sold) · dsb pśedawaś (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ar بِيعَ (to be sold) · rsk предавац (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · no bli solgt (to be sold) · cy gwerthu (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ast vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · et müüma (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ta வில் (to be sold) · ba һатылыу (to be sold) · zdj uhulwa (to be sold) · nn selja (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · vec véndar (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sah атыылаа (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · rm vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kab zzenz (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tg фурӯхтан (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi myydä (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · txb plänk- (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ru продава́ть (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ar اِنْبَاعَ (to be sold) · mr विकणे (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ko 판매하다 (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fo selja (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu kereskedik (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · izh möövvä (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ium maaic (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · jv edol (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tl ipagbili (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi myydä (to promote a particular viewpoint) · ar بَاعَ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sm faʻatau (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi näytellä (professional wrestling: to act) · ota صاتمق (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ary باع (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · chr ᎤᎾᏕᎦ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hi बेचना (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sc bendi (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · cs prodat se (to be sold) · ur بیچْنا (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · eo vendi (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ab аҭира (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bn বেচা (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mi hoko (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mk продаде (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hy վաճառել (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · vec vénder (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fr vendre (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ka ვაჭრობა (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · udm вузаны (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ms menjual (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mfe vande (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mk продава (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es venderse (to be sold) · tl ibenta (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kk сату (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lo ຂາຍ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · av бичизе (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · rsk предац (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ky сатуу (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · br gwerzhañ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · is selja (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · wa vinde (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ro vinde (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · la vendō (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · prs فُروخْتَن (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sc vèndhere (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · dng мэ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · th ขาย (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · la dēludō (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · ko 팔리다 (to be sold) · as বেচ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ps پلورل (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · arz باع (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · my ရောင်း (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · rcf vand (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg измамвам (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · ru прода́ться (to be sold) · pap bende (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lt parduoti (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg разочаровам (to throw under the bus; to let down one's own team) · nrf vendre (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sw kuuza (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · la ēlūdō (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · zh 傳遞 /传递 (to promote a particular viewpoint) · tet fa'an (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi käydä kaupaksi (to be sold) · yi פֿאַרקויפֿן (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sc bèndhere (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · he מכר (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · yai пиронсак (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg продам (to betray someone for money) · cu вѣнити (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · fi harhauttaa (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · pms vende (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ht vann (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mn зарах (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu ad (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · be прада́ць (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kmr firotin (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ky сатып бер- (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tr satmak (to be sold) · ga díol (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ce дохка (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ug ساتماق (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · zh 耍弄 (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · dlm vandro (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · pl sprzedawać (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · es vender (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tsg dagang (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · az satmaq (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sv sälja (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · dsb pśedaś (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · nb selge (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de sich verkaufen (to be sold) · bg прода́вам (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kea bende (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sc bènnere (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · tl magbili (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · mr विकले जाणे (to be sold) · da sælge (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · de vertreiben (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ceb baligya (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · lv pārdot (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · yo tà (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hu elad (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · nl verkopen (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ba һатыу (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · bg прода́м (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ltg puordūt (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · hy ծախել (to trick, cheat, or manipulate someone) · hy ծախել (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kea vendê (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · gu વેચવું (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · haw kūʻai (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · swb uudza (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · kum сатмакъ (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ca vendre (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · vi bán (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · frr ferkuupe (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · ty hoʻo (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · sh про̀дати (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment) · gd reic (to agree to transfer goods or provide services for payment)
The tyrant proud frown’d from his loftie cell, [...]. 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Fourth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 7, page 56:
(archaic) A saddle.
turning to that place, in which whyleare / He left his loftie steed with golden sell, / And goodly gorgeous barbes, him found not theare [...]. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Then she gave unto him a horse so good,
And therewith a new sell;
"And never shalt thou the way inquire,
Thy horse will find it well." 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 169:
From Old Saxon seill or Old Norse seil. Cognate with Dutch zeel (“rope”), German Seil (“rope”).
Meanings
(obsolete, regional) A rope (usually for tying up cattle, but can also mean any sort of rope).
He picked up the sell from the straw-strewn barn-floor, snelly sneaked up behind her and sleekly slung it around her swire while scryingː "dee, dee ye fooking quhoreǃ".