sell short

sell  (sl)

v. sold (sld), sell·ing, sells

v.tr.

1. To exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent.

2. To offer for sale, as for one's business or livelihood: The partners sell textiles.

3. To give up or surrender in exchange for a price or reward: sell one's soul to the devil.

4. To be purchased in (a certain quantity); achieve sales of: a book that sold a million copies.

5.

a. To bring about or encourage sales of; promote: Good publicity sold the product.

b. To cause to be accepted; advocate successfully: We sold the proposal to the school committee.

6. To persuade (another) to recognize the worth or desirability of something: They sold me on the idea.

v.intr.

1. To exchange ownership for money or its equivalent; engage in selling.

2. To be sold or be on sale: Grapes are selling high this season.

3. To attract prospective buyers; be popular on the market: an item that sells well.

4. To be approved of; gain acceptance.

n.

1. The activity or method of selling.

2. Something that sells or gains acceptance in a particular way: Their program to raise taxes will be a difficult sell.

3. Slang A deception; a hoax.

Phrasal Verbs:

sell off

To get rid of by selling, often at reduced prices.

sell out

1. To put all of one's goods or possessions up for sale.

2. Slang To betray one's cause or colleagues: He sold out to the other side.

Idioms:

sell a bill of goods Informal

To take unfair advantage of.

sell down the river Informal

To betray the true trust or faith of.

sell short

1. To contract for the sale of securities or commodities one expects to own at a later date and at more advantageous terms.

2. To underestimate the true value or worth of: Don't sell your colleague short; she's a smart lawyer.

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[Middle English sellen, from Old English sellan, to give, sell.]

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sella·ble adj.

Thesaurus

Verb	1.	sell short - sell securities or commodities or foreign currency that is not actually owned by the seller, who hopes to cover (buy back) the sold items at a lower price and thus to earn a profit commerce, commercialism, mercantilism - transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services) sell - exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent; "He sold his house in January"; "She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit"
	2.	sell short - underestimate the real value or ability of; "Don't sell your students short--they are just shy and don't show off their knowledge" underrate, underestimate - make too low an estimate of; "he underestimated the work that went into the renovation"; "Don't underestimate the danger of such a raft trip on this river"