1 a [noncount] : the activity or process of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services : commerce
▪ foreign/international trade ▪ the trade between the two countries ▪ The tariff is a barrier to trade. = The tariff is a trade barrier. ▪ trade agreements ▪ a trade route [=a route used for transporting goods] — see also free trade, trade deficit, trade surplus
b : the amount of things or services that are bought and sold : the money made by buying and selling things or services [noncount] ▪ Trade accounts for half of our gross national product. [singular] ▪ The store does a brisk/lucrative trade in T-shirts. [=the store sells a lot of T-shirts] 2 [count] a : the act of exchanging one thing for another
▪ My cupcake for your brownie is a fair/good trade. [=swap]
b US, sports : the act of giving one of your players to another team and getting one of their players in return
▪ The Tigers made a few good trades this season and picked up some promising players. 3 : a job ; especially : a job that requires special training and skills and that is done by using your hands [count] ▪ Are you interested in learning a new trade? [=learning the skills that are needed to perform a different job] ▪ She entered the trade [=she began working in her profession] just after graduating from high school. [noncount] ▪ I am a carpenter/electrician/beautician by trade. [=I work as a carpenter/electrician/beautician] — see also jack-of-all-trades 4 [count] : a certain kind of business or industry
▪ the drug trade ▪ The tourist trade is our main source of state revenue. ▪ a trade group/association ▪ trade publications — see also rag trade