American Heritage Dictionary Entry: business

(bĭznĭs)

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(bs)n.

1.

The activity of buying and selling commodities, products, or services:

new systems now being used in business.

2.

The amount or volume of this activity:

Business was off all day.3.

a.

The variety of this activity in which a person is engaged:

the wholesale food business.

b.

A specific occupation or pursuit:

the best designer in the business.

4.

A commercial enterprise or establishment:

bought his uncle’s construction business.

5.

Commercial dealings; patronage:

took her business to a trustworthy salesperson.6.

a.

One’s rightful or proper concern or interest:

“The business of America is business”

(Calvin Coolidge).

b.

Something involving one personally:

It’s none of my business.

7.

Serious work or endeavor:

got right down to business.

8.

An affair or matter:

“We will proceed no further in this business”

(Shakespeare).

9.

An incidental action performed by an actor on the stage to fill a pause between lines or to provide interesting detail.

10.

Informal

Strong verbal criticism; scolding:

gave me the business for being late.

11.

Informal

Urination or defecation:

The dog did its business on the lawn.

12.

Obsolete

The condition of being busy.

businesse, from

bisi, busy; see

[Middle English, from, busy; see

BUSY

.]

Synonyms:

business, industry, commerce, trade, traffic

These nouns apply to forms of activity that have the objective of supplying products or services for a fee. Business pertains broadly to commercial, financial, and industrial activity, and more narrowly to specific fields or firms engaging in this activity: a company that does business over the internet; went into the software consulting business; owns a dry-cleaning business. Industry entails the production and manufacture of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale: the computer industry. Commerce and trade refer to the exchange and distribution of goods or commodities: laws regulating interstate commerce; involved in the domestic fur trade. Traffic pertains in particular to businesses engaged in the transportation of goods or passengers: renovated the docks to attract shipping traffic. The word may also suggest illegal trade: discovered a brisk traffic in stolen goods.

These nouns apply to forms of activity that have the objective of supplying products or services for a fee.pertains broadly to commercial, financial, and industrial activity, and more narrowly to specific fields or firms engaging in this activity:entails the production and manufacture of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale:andrefer to the exchange and distribution of goods or commodities:pertains in particular to businesses engaged in the transportation of goods or passengers:The word may also suggest illegal trade: