something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows; "training is a necessary preliminary to employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner"
a minor match preceding the main event
designed to orient or acquaint with a situation before proceeding; "a preliminary investigation"
not original; not being or productive of something fresh and unusual; "the manuscript contained unoriginal emendations"; "his life had been unoriginal, conforming completely to the given pattern"- Gwethalyn Graham
not common or ordinarily encountered; unusually great in amount or remarkable in character or kind; "uncommon birds"; "frost and floods are uncommon during these months"; "doing an uncommon amount of business"; "an uncommon liking for money"; "he owed his greatest debt to his mother's uncommon character and ability"
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold; "without competition there would be no market"; "they were driven from the marketplace"
the securities markets in the aggregate; "the market always frustrates the small investor"
the customers for a particular product or service; "before they publish any book they try to determine the size of the market for it"
engage in the commercial promotion, sale, or distribution of; "The company is marketing its new line of beauty products"
deal in a market
buy household supplies; "We go marketing every Saturday"
the mental attitude that something is believable and should be accepted as true; "he gave credence to the gossip"; "acceptance of Newtonian mechanics was unquestioned for 200 years"
incidental activity performed by an actor for dramatic effect; "his business with the cane was hilarious"
the volume of commercial activity; "business is good today"; "show me where the business was today"
a rightful concern or responsibility; "it's none of your business"; "mind your own business"
an immediate objective; "gossip was the main business of the evening"
business concerns collectively; "Government and business could not agree"
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it; "he bought his brother's business"; "a small mom-and-pop business"; "a racially integrated business concern"
a methodical examination or review of a condition or situation; "he made an audit of all the plants on his property"; "an energy efficiency audit"; "an email log audit"
attend academic courses without getting credit
examine carefully for accuracy with the intent of verification; "audit accounts and tax returns"
performance given by a traveling company of acrobats clowns and trained animals; "the children always love to go to the circus"
a frenetic disorganized (and often comic) disturbance suggestive of a large public entertainment; "it was so funny it was a circus"; "the whole occasion had a carnival atmosphere"
a genus of haws comprising the harriers
an arena consisting of an oval or circular area enclosed by tiers of seats and usually covered by a tent; "they used the elephants to help put up the circus"
(antiquity) an open-air stadium for chariot races and gladiatorial games
a travelling company of entertainers; including trained animals; "he ran away from home to join the circus"
the merchandise that a shop has on hand; "they carried a vast inventory of hardware"; "they stopped selling in exact sizes in order to reduce inventory"
the handle end of some implements or tools; "he grabbed the cue by the stock"
the handle of a handgun or the butt end of a rifle or shotgun or part of the support of a machine gun or artillery gun; "the rifle had been fitted with a special stock"
lumber used in the construction of something; "they will cut round stock to 1-inch diameter"
any of several Old World plants cultivated for their brightly colored flowers
a plant or stem onto which a graft is made; especially a plant grown specifically to provide the root part of grafted plants
persistent thickened stem of a herbaceous perennial plant
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest (equity); "he owns a controlling share of the company's stock"
the reputation and popularity a person has; "his stock was so high he could have been elected mayor"
routine; "a stock answer"
have on hand; "Do you carry kerosene heaters?"
provide or furnish with a stock of something; "stock the larder with meat"
stock up on to keep for future use or sale; "let's stock coffee as long as prices are low"
the trait of believing in the honesty and reliability of others; "the experience destroyed his trust and personal dignity"
a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service; "they set up the trust in the hope of gaining a monopoly"
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary); "he is the beneficiary of a generous trust set up by his father"
have confidence or faith in; "We can trust in God"; "Rely on your friends"; "bank on your good education"; "I swear by my grandmother's recipes"