buy
♦♦♦ buy /b'aɪ/ (buys buying bought)
1 [VERB] V n, V pron-refl n, V n n
If you buy something, you obtain it by paying money for it.
He could not afford to buy a house...
Lizzie bought herself a mountain bike...
I'd like to buy him lunch.
2 [VERB] V n, V n n
If you talk about the quantity or standard of goods an amount of money buys, you are referring to the price of the goods or the value of the money.
About £35,000 buys a habitable house...
If the pound's value is high, British investors will spend their money abroad because the pound will buy them more.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you buy something like time, freedom, or victory, you obtain it but only by offering or giving up something in return.
It was a risky operation, but might buy more time...
For them, affluence was bought at the price of less freedom in their work environment.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed
If you say that a person can be bought, you are criticizing the fact that they will give their help or loyalty to someone in return for money.
Once he shows he can be bought, they settle down to a regular payment.
= bribe
5 [VERB] V n
If you buy an idea or a theory, you believe and accept it. (INFORMAL)
I'm not buying any of that nonsense.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
Buy into means the same as buy.
I bought into the popular myth that when I got the new car or the next house, I'd finally be happy.
6 [N-COUNT] supp N
If something is a good buy, it is of good quality and not very expensive.
This was still a good buy even at the higher price...
= bargainbuy into
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you buy into a company or an organization, you buy part of it, often in order to gain some control of it. (BUSINESS)
Other companies could buy into the firm.
see also buy 5buy off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you say that a person or organization buys off another person or group, you are criticizing the fact that they are giving them something such as money so that they will not complain or cause trouble.
...policies designed to buy off the working-class vote...
In buying your children all these things, you are in a sense buying them off.buy out
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you buy someone out, you buy their share of something such as a company or piece of property that you previously owned together.
The bank had to pay to buy out most of the 200 former partners...
He bought his brother out for $17 million.
see also buyoutbuy up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you buy up land, property, or a commodity, you buy large amounts of it, or all that is available.
The mention of price rises sent citizens out to their shops to buy up as much as they could...
The tickets will be on sale from somewhere else because the agencies have bought them up.
1 [VERB] V n, V pron-refl n, V n n
If you buy something, you obtain it by paying money for it.
He could not afford to buy a house...
Lizzie bought herself a mountain bike...
I'd like to buy him lunch.
2 [VERB] V n, V n n
If you talk about the quantity or standard of goods an amount of money buys, you are referring to the price of the goods or the value of the money.
About £35,000 buys a habitable house...
If the pound's value is high, British investors will spend their money abroad because the pound will buy them more.
3 [VERB] V n, V n
If you buy something like time, freedom, or victory, you obtain it but only by offering or giving up something in return.
It was a risky operation, but might buy more time...
For them, affluence was bought at the price of less freedom in their work environment.
4 [VERB] usu passive, be V-ed
If you say that a person can be bought, you are criticizing the fact that they will give their help or loyalty to someone in return for money.
Once he shows he can be bought, they settle down to a regular payment.
= bribe
5 [VERB] V n
If you buy an idea or a theory, you believe and accept it. (INFORMAL)
I'm not buying any of that nonsense.
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
Buy into means the same as buy.
I bought into the popular myth that when I got the new car or the next house, I'd finally be happy.
6 [N-COUNT] supp N
If something is a good buy, it is of good quality and not very expensive.
This was still a good buy even at the higher price...
= bargainbuy into
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n
If you buy into a company or an organization, you buy part of it, often in order to gain some control of it. (BUSINESS)
Other companies could buy into the firm.
see also buy 5buy off
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you say that a person or organization buys off another person or group, you are criticizing the fact that they are giving them something such as money so that they will not complain or cause trouble.
...policies designed to buy off the working-class vote...
In buying your children all these things, you are in a sense buying them off.buy out
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you buy someone out, you buy their share of something such as a company or piece of property that you previously owned together.
The bank had to pay to buy out most of the 200 former partners...
He bought his brother out for $17 million.
see also buyoutbuy up
[PHRASAL VERB] V P n (not pron), V n P
If you buy up land, property, or a commodity, you buy large amounts of it, or all that is available.
The mention of price rises sent citizens out to their shops to buy up as much as they could...
The tickets will be on sale from somewhere else because the agencies have bought them up.