shop around

shop  (shp)

n.

1. also shoppe A small retail store or a specialty department in a large store.

2. An atelier; a studio.

3. A place for manufacturing or repairing goods or machinery.

4. A commercial or industrial establishment: a printing shop.

5. A business establishment; an office or a center of activity.

6. A home workshop.

7.

a. A schoolroom fitted with machinery and tools for instruction in industrial arts.

b. The industrial arts as a technical science or course of study.

v. shopped, shop·ping, shops

v.intr.

1. To visit stores in search of merchandise or bargains.

2. To look for something with the intention of acquiring it.

v.tr.

To visit or buy from (a particular store).

Phrasal Verb:

shop around

1. To go from store to store in search of merchandise or bargains.

2. To look for something, such as a better job.

3. To offer (a large block of common stock, for example) for sale to various parties: "[The company] is now actively being shopped around, with a prospectus in circulation" (Marianne Yen).

Idiom:

talk shop

To talk about one's work.

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[Middle English shoppe, from Old English sceoppa, treasure house.]

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shop around

Verb

Informal

1. to visit a number of shops or stores to compare goods and prices

2. to consider a number of possibilities before making a choice