Sell \Sell\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Sold; p. pr. & vb. n.
Selling.]
[OE. sellen, sillen, AS. sellan, syllan, to give,
to deliver; akin to OS. sellian, OFries. sella, OHG. sellen,
Icel. selja to hand over, to sell, Sw. s["a]lja to sell, Dan.
s?lge, Goth. saljan to offer a sacrifice; all from a noun
akin to E. sale. Cf. Sale.]
1. To transfer to another for an equivalent; to give up for a
valuable consideration; to dispose of in return for
something, especially for money.
If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast,
and give to the poor. --Matt. xix.
21.
I am changed; I'll go sell all my land. --Shak.
Note: Sell is corellative to buy, as one party buys what the
other sells. It is distinguished usually from exchange
or barter, in which one commodity is given for another;
whereas in selling the consideration is usually money,
or its representative in current notes.
2. To make a matter of bargain and sale of; to accept a price
or reward for, as for a breach of duty, trust, or the
like; to betray.
You would have sold your king to slaughter. --Shak.
3. To impose upon; to trick; to deceive; to make a fool of;
to cheat. [Slang] --Dickens.
To sell one's life dearly, to cause much loss to those who
take one's life, as by killing a number of one's
assailants.
To sell (anything) out, to dispose of it wholly or
entirely; as, he had sold out his corn, or his interest in
a business.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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