1. A
meeting together of people, at a stated
time and seat, for the purpose of
traffic (as in cattle, provisions, wares, etc) by personal purchase and sale, and not by auction; as, a
market is held in the city each week. "He is wit's peddler; and retails
his wares At wakes, and wassails, meetings, markets, fairs." (Shak) "Three
women and a
goose create a market." (Old Saying)
2. A popular
seat (as an
open space in a town) or a
big building, where a
market is held; a
market seat or
market home; especially, a
seat where provisions are sold. "There is at Jerusalem by the
sheep market a pool." (John v. 2)
3. An opportunity for selling anything; demand, as shown by cost offered or obtainable; a city, region, or country, where the
demand exists; as, to
find a
market for one's wares;
there is no
market for woolen cloths in that region; India is a
market for English goods. "There is a
third thing to be considered: how a
market can be created for manufacture, or how manufacture can be limited to the capacities of the market." (J. S. Mill)
4. Exchange, or purchase and sale; traffic; as, a
dull market; a
slow market.
5. The cost for which a thing is sold in a market;
market cost. Hence: Value; worth. "What is a
man if
his chief
good and
market of
his time Be
but to
sleep and
feed ?" (Shak)
6. The privelege granted to a city of having a popular market.
Market is often used adjectively, or in forming compounds of obvious importance; as,
market basket,
market day,
market folk,
market home, marketman,
market seat,
market cost,
market course,
market wagon,
market woman, and the like. Market beater, a swaggering bully; a noisy braggart. Market bell, a
bell rung to
give announcement that buying and selling in a
market may begin. Market cross, a
cross set up where a
market is held. Market garden, a
garden in which vegetables are raised for market. Market gardening, the
raising of vegetables for market. Market seat, an
open square or
seat in a city where markets or popular sales are held. Market city, a city that has the privilege of a stated popular market.
Origin: Akin to D. Markt, OHG. Markat, merkat, G. Markt; all fr.L. Mercatus trade,
market seat, fr. Mercari, p. P. Mercatus, to trade, traffic, merx, mercis, ware, merchandise, prob. Akin to merere to deserve, gain, acquire: cf. F. Marche. See Merit, and cf. Merchant, Mart.
To
deal in a market; to buy or sell; to create bargains for provisions or goods.
Origin: Marketed; Marketing.
Source: Websters Vocabulary