sell
part of speech
verb (sell, sells, sold, selling); noun (a hard sell — rare)
meaning for a pupil
1) To sell is to give something to someone for money. tree →
2) Something sells when people buy it, as in «The book sells well». tree →
3) To sell an idea is to make people like it or agree with it. tree →
sense in the lessons
Interpretation: Joseph being "sold" by his brothers is a major event in the story. Esau selling his birthright to Jacob is read as him showing little value for holy things. In the primary lessons: an action that takes things away from the seller and brings in money; in everyday life: shops, bake sales, garage sales; phrases «sell out» (sell all), «for sale», «on sale», «sell for»
examples
- And Jacob said: 'Sell me first thy birthright.' (Torah GEN.25.31, JPS 1917) tree →
- And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. (Torah GEN.45.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- after that he is sold he may be redeemed; one of his brethren may redeem him; (Torah LEV.25.48, JPS 1917) tree →
- He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a servant; (Writings PSA.105.17, JPS 1917) tree →
- Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. (Writings PRO.23.23, JPS 1917) tree →
- Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? (Prophets ISA.50.1, JPS 1917) tree →
- The baker sold 75 cakes. tree →
- She sells lemonade for 2 dollars a cup. tree →
- How many cakes did he sell in all? tree →
- He sold 8 more than yesterday. tree →
- The concert tickets sold out in an hour. tree →
- We sold old toys at a garage sale. tree →
- The shop sells shoes and bags. tree →
- The house is for sale. tree →
- He sold his bike to his cousin. tree →
- Ice cream sells best in summer. tree →
note
Takes away from what the seller has; money earned = number sold × price. Trap: «how many did he sell» may ask for the sold amount, not what is left. Past form «sold», not «selled». «Sell» sounds like «cell». The opposite is «buy».
In the corpora
- And Jacob said: 'Sell me first thy birthright.'
- And Jacob said: 'Swear to me first'; and he swore unto him; and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
- Are we not accounted by him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath also quite devoured our price.
- And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard.
- And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «sell» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.