buy

  • verb (buys, buying; past and past part. bought) 1 obtain in exchange for payment. 2 get (something) by sacrifice or great effort. 3 informal accept the truth of.

  • noun informal a purchase.

  — PHRASES buy out 1 pay (someone) to give up an interest or share in something. 2 (buy oneself out) obtain one’s release from the armed services by payment. buy time delay an event temporarily so as to have longer to improve one’s own position. have bought it informal be killed.

  — ORIGIN Old English.

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