business

English

/ˈbɪz.nɪs/, /ˈbɪz.nəs/, /ˈbɪd.nəs/

noun
Definitions
  • (countable) A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.
  • (countable) A person's occupation, work, or trade.
  • (uncountable) Commercial, industrial, or professional activity.
  • (uncountable) The volume or amount of commercial trade.
  • (uncountable) One's dealings; patronage.
  • (uncountable) Private commercial interests taken collectively.
  • (uncountable) The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management.
  • (countable) A particular situation or activity.
  • (countable) Any activity or objective needing to be deal dealt with; especially, one of a financial or legal matter.
  • (uncountable) Something involving one personally.
  • (uncountable) Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action.
  • (travel) business Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach.
  • (acting) Action carried out with a prop or piece of clothing, usually away from the focus of the scene.
  • (countable) The collective noun for a group of ferrets.
  • (uncountable) Something very good; top quality. (possibly from "the bee's knees")
  • (slang) Excrement, particularly that of a non-human animal.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English busines inherited from Old English bisiġnes (busyness, business) suffix from English busy.

Origin

English

busy

Gloss

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms