buy

English Online Dictionary. What means buy‎? What does buy mean?

English

Etymology

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 /aɪ/ is from the East Midlands.

Pronunciation

• enPR: bī, IPA^(key): /baɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophones: bi, bye, by

Verb

buy (third-person singular simple present buys, present participle buying, simple past bought, past participle bought or (archaic, rare, dialectal) boughten)

1. (transitive, ditransitive) To obtain (something) in exchange for money or goods.
2. (transitive, ditransitive) To obtain, especially by some sacrifice.
3. (transitive, archaic) To suffer consequences for (something) through being deprived of something; to pay for (something one has done).
4. (transitive) To bribe.

5. (transitive) To be equivalent to in value.

6. (transitive, informal) to accept as true; to believe
7. (intransitive) To make a purchase or purchases, to treat (for a drink, meal or gift)

8. (poker slang, transitive) To make a bluff, usually a large one.

Conjugation

Alternative forms

• buie (archaic)

Synonyms

• (obtain in exchange for money): cheap (obsolete), purchase
• (accept as true): accept, believe, swallow (informal), take on
• ((intransitive) make a purchase): make a buy

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “obtain in exchange for money”): cheap (obsolete), sell, vend
• (antonym(s) of “accept as true”): disbelieve, reject, pitch

Derived terms

Related terms

• aby

Descendants

• Sranan Tongo: bai
• Tok Pisin: baim

Translations

Noun

buy (plural buys)

2. Something which is bought; a purchase.

Antonyms

• sale

Derived terms

• buy boat
• buydown
• buyout
• buyrate
• impulse buy

Translations

References

• “buy”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “buy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• BYU

Chinese

Etymology

From English buy.

Pronunciation

Verb

buy

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to accept (an idea)

   • 收聲呀，我唔buy你呀。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, trad.]
     收声呀，我唔buy你呀。 [Hong Kong Cantonese, simp.]

     sau¹ seng¹ aa³, ngo⁵ m⁴ baai¹ nei⁵ aa³. [Jyutping]

     Shut up. I'm not buying your [suggestion].

Scots

Alternative forms

• beh (Dundee)

Etymology

From Old English bycgan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (unstressed) [bəi], (stressed) [baɪ]

Verb

buy (third-person singular simple present buys, present participle buyin, simple past bocht, past participle bocht)

1. buy

Tatar

Noun

buy

1. length

Wolof

Etymology

Related to guy (“baobab tree”).

Noun

buy (definite form buy bi)

1. baobab fruit
2. sweet drink made of this fruit by adding water, sugar, milk, and other ingredients