trades en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /tɹeɪdz/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- Proto-Germanic *tradō Proto-West Germanic *trudo Old Saxon tradader. Middle Low German tradeder. Middle English trade English trade Old English -as Middle English -es English -s English trades From trade + -s.
Meanings
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(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, plural, plural-only) Ellipsis of building and manufacturing trades (“the vocations of skilled blue-collar workers; the workforce in these vocations”).
Holonym: technology
Near-synonym: industrial arts
Meronyms: (people) tradespersons, tradesmen, trade unions; (component vocations) see list of trades
He decided to go into the trades because in the 21st century it seemed like a safer career move, in terms of wage rates, than becoming just another mediocre college graduate among a sea thereof.
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(form-of, plural) plural of trade
form of trade
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(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, plural, plural-only) Ellipsis of trade publications (“publications within an industry or group of related industries, reporting industry-related news and editorials (and usually also advertising) to people in those vocations (workers and managers)”).
alt of trade publications
Meronyms: trade papers, trade journals, trade magazines
Rumors about layoffs are all over the trades.
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(abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, plural, plural-only) Ellipsis of trade winds (“steady winds blowing from east to west above and below the equator”).
alt of trade winds
They rode the trades going west.