Retail RETA'IL, RETAIL, v.t. 1. To sell in small quantities
or parcels, from the sense of cutting or dividing; opposed to selling by
wholesale; as, to retail cloth or groceries. 2. To sell at second
hand. 3. To tell in broken parts; to tell to many; as, to retail
slander or idle reports. RE'TAIL, n. The sale of commodities
in small quantities or parcels, or at second hand.
retail
n 1: the selling of goods to consumers; usually in small
quantities and not for resale [ant: wholesale]
v 1: be sold at the retail level; "These gems retail at
thousands of dollars each"
2: sell on the retail market [ant: wholesale]
adv 1: at a retail price; "I'll sell it to you retail only"
[ant: wholesale]
retail
1413, from M.Fr. retail "piece cut off, shred, scrap, paring," from
O.Fr. retaillier "to cut off, pare, clip, divide," from re- "back" +
taillier "to cut, trim." The verb "to sell in small quantities" is from
1419; the sense of "recount, tell over again" is first recorded 1594.
retail I. verbDate: 15th century transitive verb1. to sell in small quantities directly to the ultimate consumer
2.tell, retellintransitive verb to sell at retail
• retailernounII. nounEtymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French retaille cutting,
deduction, retail, from retailler to cut out, from re- +
tailler to cut — more at tailorDate: 15th century
the sale of commodities or goods in small quantities to ultimate consumers;
also the industry of such selling III. adjectiveDate: 1601 of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of commodities
at retail <retail trade>
IV. adverbDate: 1784
in small quantities ; from a retailer
retail n., adj., adv., & v. --n. the sale of goods in relatively small quantities to the public, and usu. not for resale (cf. WHOLESALE). --adj. & adv. by retail; at a retail price (do you buy
wholesale or retail?). --v. also 1 tr. sell (goods) in retail trade. 2 intr. (often foll. by at, of) (of goods) be sold in this way (esp. for a specified price) (retails at £4.95). 3
tr. recount; relate details of. Phrases and idioms: retail price index an index of the variation in the prices of retail goods. Derivatives: retailer n. Etymology:
ME f. OF retaille a piece cut off f. retaillier (as RE-, TAIL(2))
retail
(retails, retailing, retailed)Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1. Retail is the activity of selling goods direct to the public, usually in small
quantities. Compare wholesale. (BUSINESS)
...retail stores...Retail sales grew just 3.8 percent last year.N-UNCOUNT: usu N n
2. If something is sold retail, it is sold in ordinary shops direct to the
public. (BUSINESS)
ADV: ADV after v
3. If an item in a shop retailsat or for a particular price, it is on
sale at that price. (BUSINESS)
It originally retailed at £23.50.= sell
VERB: V at/for nsee alsoretailing
retail
̘. ̈n.ˈri:teɪl n., adj., adv., & v. --n. the sale of goods
in relatively small quantities to the public, and usu. not for resale
(cf. WHOLESALE). --adj. & adv. by retail; at a retail price (do you
buy wholesale or retail?). --v. also 1 tr. sell (goods) in retail trade. 2
intr. (often foll. by at, of) (of goods) be sold in this way (esp. for
a specified price) (retails at ø4.95). 3 tr. recount; relate details
of. øretail price index an index of the variation in the prices of retail
goods. øøretailer n. [ME f. OF retaille a piece cut off f. retaillier
(as RE-, TAIL(2))]
Retail \Re*tail"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Retailed;p. pr. & vb.
n. Retailing.] [Cf. F. retailler to cut again; pref. re- re
+ tailler to cut. See Retail, n., Tailor, and cf.
Detail.]
1. To sell in small quantities, as by the single yard, pound,
gallon, etc.; to sell directly to the consumer; as, to
retail cloth or groceries.
2. To sell at second hand. [Obs. or R.] --Pope.
3. To distribute in small portions or at second hand; to tell
again or to many (what has been told or done); to report;
as, to retail slander. ``To whom I will retail my conquest
won.'' --Shak.
He is wit's peddler, and retails his wares At wakes
and wassails. --Shak.
Retail \Re"tail\, n. [F. retaille piece cut off, shred, paring,
or OF. retail, from retailler. See Retail, v.]
The sale of commodities in small quantities or parcels; --
opposed to wholesale; sometimes, the sale of commodities at
second hand.
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