sell

name

1. A surname.

noun

Etymology: From Old Saxon seill or Old Norse seil. Cognate with Dutch zeel (“rope”), German Seil (“rope”).

1. A rope (usually for tying up cattle, but can also mean any sort of rope).

   “He picked up the sell from the straw-strewn barn-floor, snelly sneaked up behind her and sleekly slung it around her swire while scryingː "dee, dee ye fooking quhoreǃ".”

verb

Etymology: From Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan (“give; give up for money”), from Proto-West Germanic *salljan, from Proto-Germanic *saljaną, from Proto-Indo-European *selh₁-. Cognates Cognate with Scots sell (“to sell”), Danish sælge (“to sell”), Norwegian Bokmål selge (“to sell”), Norwegian Nynorsk selja, selje (“to sell”), Swedish sälja (“to sell”), Faroese and Icelandic selja (“to sell”), Gothic 𐍃𐌰𐌻𐌾𐌰𐌽 (saljan, “to pay tribute, make an offer”).

1. To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

   “She sold her old car very quickly.”

   “I'll sell you three books for a hundred dollars.”

2. To be sold.

   “This old stock will never sell.”

   “The corn sold for a good price.”

3. To promote (a product or service) although not being paid in any direct way or at all.

   “Howard: You're gonna feel terrible when I'm in a wheelchair. Which, by the way, would fit easily in the back of this award-winning minivan. Bernadette: Fine, we'll go to the E.R. Just stop selling me on the van. Howard: You're right. It sells itself.”

4. To promote (a particular viewpoint).

   “My boss is very old-fashioned and I'm having a lot of trouble selling the idea of working at home occasionally.”

5. To betray for money or other things.
6. To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.

   “Then weaues Other crosse-plots New tricks for safety, are sought; They thriue: When, bold, Each tempt's th'other againe, and all are sold.”

   “House was jammed again that night, and we sold this crowd the same way.”

7. To pretend that an opponent's blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
8. To throw under the bus; to let down one's own team in an endeavour, especially in a sport or a game.

   “He's selling!”

   “He really sold in that match.”