Origin of word sell

English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /sɛl/
• Rhymes: -ɛl
• Homophone: cell

Etymology 1[edit]

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-. Compare Danish sælge, Swedish sälja, Icelandic selja.

Verb[edit]

sell (third-person singular simple present sells, present participle selling, simple past and past participle sold)

1. (transitive, intransitive, ditransitive) To transfer goods or provide services in exchange for money.

   I’ll sell you three books for a hundred dollars.

   Sorry, I’m not prepared to sell.

   Synonyms: peddle, vend

   • 2013 August 10, “A new prescription”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

     No sooner has a [synthetic] drug been blacklisted than chemists adjust their recipe and start churning out a subtly different one. These “legal highs” are sold for the few months it takes the authorities to identify and ban them, and then the cycle begins again.

2. (ergative) To be sold.

   This old stock will never sell.

   The corn sold for a good price.

3. To promote a product or service.
   • 2016, «The Fetal Kick Catalyst», The Big Bang Theory

     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. (slang) To trick, cheat, or manipulate someone.

   • 1605 (first performance)​, Benjamin Jonson [i.e., Ben Jonson], “Volpone, or The Foxe. A Comœdie. […]”, in The Workes of Ben Jonson (First Folio), London: […] Will[iam] Stansby, published 1616, →OCLC:

     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.

   • 2011 January 12, Saj Chowdhury, “Blackpool 2-1 Liverpool”, in BBC:

     Raul Meireles was the victim of the home side’s hustling on this occasion giving the ball away to the impressive David Vaughan who slipped in Taylor-Fletcher. The striker sold Daniel Agger with the best dummy of the night before placing his shot past keeper Pepe Reina.

7. (professional wrestling, slang) To pretend that an opponent’s blows or maneuvers are causing legitimate injury; to act.
8. (reflexive, euphemistic) To work as a prostitute.

   Synonyms: sell one’s body, turn tricks; see also Thesaurus:prostitute oneself

Antonyms[edit]

• buy

Derived terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

• Chinese Pidgin English: sellum, 些林
• Sranan Tongo: seri

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

sell (plural sells)

1. An act of selling; sale.
   • 1963, American Society of Travel Agents, ASTA Travel News (volume 32, page 55)

     Now the easiest sell in traveldom is made even easier.

2. (figurative, by extension) The promotion of an idea for acceptance.

   This is going to be a tough sell.

3. An easy task.
4. (colloquial, dated) An imposition, a cheat; a hoax; a disappointment; anything occasioning a loss of pride or dignity.
   • 1922, Katherine Mansfield, The Doll’s House (Selected Stories, Oxford World’s Classics paperback 2002, 354)

     What a sell for Lena!

See also[edit]

• sale

Etymology 2[edit]

From French selle, from Latin sella.

Alternative forms[edit]

• selle (obsolete)

Noun[edit]

sell (plural sells)

1. (obsolete) A seat or stool.

   • 1600, [Torquato Tasso], “The Fourth Booke of Godfrey of Bulloigne”, in Edward Fairefax [i.e., Edward Fairfax], transl., Godfrey of Bulloigne, or The Recouerie of Ierusalem. […], London: […] Ar[nold] Hatfield, for I[saac] Iaggard and M[atthew] Lownes, →OCLC, stanza 7, page 56:

     The tyrant proud frown’d from his loftie cell, […].

2. (archaic) A saddle.

Etymology 3[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

sell (plural sells)

1. (regional, obsolete) 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».

Derived terms[edit]

• bowsell

References[edit]

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Anagrams[edit]

• ELLs, Ells, ells

Breton[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /sɛl/

Noun[edit]

sell m

1. look, glance

Chinese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English sell.

Pronunciation[edit]

Verb[edit]

sell

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to sell; to promote services or products; to promote a viewpoint

See also[edit]

• sales

References[edit]

• English Loanwords in Hong Kong Cantonese

Pennsylvania German[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Cognate to German selbig (“the same (one)”).

Pronoun[edit]

sell

1. that one

Determiner[edit]

sell

1. that
   • 1954, Albert F. Buffington, A Pennsylvania German grammar, pages 32 and 81:

     sell Haus datt driwwe

     that house over there

     […]

     In sellem alde Glaawe maag en bissel Waahret schtecke.

     In that old belief there may be a bit of truth.

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:sell.

Inflection[edit]

	masculine	feminine	neuter	plural
nominative and accusative	seller	selle, selli	sell	selle, selli
dative	sellem, sem	sellere, sellre, seller	sellem, sem	selle

References[edit]

• Earl C Haag, Pennsylvania German Reader and Grammar (2010), page 204

Scots[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old English sellan.

Pronunciation[edit]

• IPA^(key): /sɛl/

Verb[edit]

sell (third-person singular simple present sells, present participle sellin, simple past sellt or sauld, past participle sellt or sauld)

1. To sell.

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I’ve learned to sell my music, I’ve learned to direct, I’ve written screenplays… All of this fulfilled my artistic needs but also put food on the table.

Robby Benson

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD SELL

Old English sellan to lend, deliver; related to Old Norse selja to sell, Gothic saljan to offer sacrifice, Old High German sellen to sell, Latin cōnsilium advice.

PRONUNCIATION OF SELL

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF SELL

Sell is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES SELL MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of sell in the English dictionary

The first definition of sell in the dictionary is to dispose of or transfer or be disposed of or transferred to a purchaser in exchange for money or other consideration; put or be on sale. Other definition of sell is to deal in. Sell is also to give up or surrender for a price or reward.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO SELL

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

SYNONYMS OF «SELL»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «sell» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF SELL

Find out the translation of sell to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «SELL»

The term «sell» is very widely used and occupies the 1.391 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of sell

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «SELL» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «SELL»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word sell.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «SELL»

Discover the use of sell in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to sell and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «SELL»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term sell is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Sell [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/sell>. Apr 2023 ».

• Defenition of the word sell

  • To provide goods or services in exchange for money.
  • deliver to an enemy by treachery; «Judas sold Jesus»; «The spy betrayed his country»
  • do business; offer for sale as for one’s livelihood; «She deals in gold»; «The brothers sell shoes»
  • the activity of persuading someone to buy; «it was a hard sell»
  • persuade somebody to accept something; «The French try to sell us their image as great lovers»
  • give up for a price or reward: «She sold her principles for a successful career»
  • exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent; «He sells machine tools»; «She sells her body to survive and support her drug habit»
  • be sold at a certain price or in a certain way: «These books sell like hot cakes»
  • be responsible for the sale of; «All her publicity sold the products»
  • be approved of or gain acceptance; «The new idea sold well in certain circles»
  • give up for a price or reward; «She sold her principles for a successful career»
  • 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»
  • do business; offer for sale as for one»s livelihood; «She deals in gold»; «The brothers sell shoes»
  • be sold at a certain price or in a certain way; «These books sell like hot cakes»
  • the activity of persuading someone to buy
  • persuade somebody to accept something
  • give up for a price or reward
  • exchange or deliver for money or its equivalent
  • do business; offer for sale as for one’s livelihood
  • deliver to an enemy by treachery
  • be sold at a certain price or in a certain way
  • be responsible for the sale of
  • be approved of or gain acceptance

Synonyms for the word sell

• • advertise
  • be bought
  • be snapped up
  • betray
  • deal
  • get rid of
  • go
  • market
  • persuade somebody to buy
  • plug
  • promote
  • push
  • put on the market
  • put up for sale
  • retail
  • sell like hot cakes
  • trade
  • vend
  • wholesale

Similar words in the sell

• • administer
  • allot
  • deal
  • deal out
  • dish out
  • dispense
  • distribute
  • dole out
  • lot
  • merchandise
  • mete out
  • parcel out
  • sell
  • seller
  • seller’s
  • sellers
  • sellers’s
  • selling
  • sellout
  • sellout’s
  • sellouts
  • sells
  • shell out
  • trade

Hyponyms for the word sell

• • auction
  • auction off
  • auctioneer
  • black marketeer
  • bootleg
  • clear
  • deaccession
  • deal
  • dispose
  • double cross
  • dump
  • fob off
  • foist off
  • hawk
  • huckster
  • market
  • monger
  • move
  • negociate
  • palm off
  • peddle
  • pitch
  • prostitute
  • push
  • pyramid
  • realise
  • realize
  • remainder
  • resell
  • retail
  • sacrifice
  • scalp
  • sell off
  • sell short
  • syndicate
  • trade
  • trust
  • undercut
  • underprice
  • undersell
  • vend
  • wholesale

Hypernyms for the word sell

• • be
  • cede
  • change
  • cozen
  • deceive
  • deliver
  • delude
  • exchange
  • give up
  • interchange
  • lead on
  • persuade
  • sale
  • surrender
  • transact

Antonyms for the word sell

• • buy
  • purchase

See other words

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  • Synonym for the word doctor
  • Antonyms for the word catch
  • Homonyms for the word average
  • Hyponyms for the word startup
  • Holonyms for the word start-up
  • Hypernyms for the word overkill
  • Proverbs and sayings for the word cover
  • Translation of the word in other languages boast

• Dictionary
• S
• Sell

Definitions of sell word

• verb with object sell to transfer (goods) to or render (services) for another in exchange for money; dispose of to a purchaser for a price: He sold the car to me for $1000. 1
• verb with object sell to deal in; keep or offer for sale: He sells insurance. This store sells my favorite brand. 1
• verb with object sell to make a sale or offer for sale to: He’ll sell me the car for $1000. 1
• verb with object sell to persuade or induce (someone) to buy something: The salesman sold me on a more expensive model than I wanted. 1
• verb with object sell to persuade or induce someone to buy (something): The clerk really sold the shoes to me by flattery. 1
• verb with object sell to make sales of: The hot record sold a million copies this month. 1

Information block about the term

Origin of sell

First appearance:

before 900

One of the 4% oldest English words

before 900; Middle English sellen (v.), Old English sellan orig., to give, hence, give up (someone) to an enemy, betray, exchange for money; cognate with Old Norse selja, Low German sellen, Gothic saljan to give up, sell, orig., to cause to take; akin to Greek heleîn to take

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Sell

sell popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 95% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between «mom» and «screwdriver».

Synonyms for sell

verb sell

• act upon — anything done, being done, or to be done; deed; performance: a heroic act.
• adios — goodbye; farewell
• ante up — If you ante up an amount of money, you pay your share, sometimes unwillingly.
• assure — If you assure someone that something is true or will happen, you tell them that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, often in order to make them less worried.
• bargain — Something that is a bargain is good value for money, usually because it has been sold at a lower price than normal.

noun sell

• arm-twist — to subject to arm-twisting: The unions arm-twisted the government into negotiating by threatening widespread strikes.
• bankability — acceptable for processing by a bank: bankable checks and money orders.
• barratry — (formerly) the vexatious stirring up of quarrels or bringing of lawsuits
• bon mot — A bon mot is a clever, witty remark.
• bunco — a swindle, esp one by confidence tricksters

Antonyms for sell

verb sell

• admit — If you admit that something bad, unpleasant, or embarrassing is true, you agree, often unwillingly, that it is true.
• be big on — large, as in size, height, width, or amount: a big house; a big quantity.
• buy — If you buy something, you obtain it by paying money for it.
• buy out — If you buy someone out, you buy their share of something such as a company or piece of property that you previously owned together.
• buy up — If you buy up land, property, or a commodity, you buy large amounts of it, or all that is available.

Top questions with sell

• how to sell on ebay?
• how to sell on amazon?
• how to sell on etsy?
• how to sell on craigslist?
• how to sell a car?
• where do they sell bean boozled?
• how much did george lucas sell star wars to disney?
• how to sell your soul to the devil?
• how to sell weed?
• how to sell your soul?
• how to sell your house?
• how to sell?
• how to sell books on amazon?
• where to sell used books?
• how to sell stuff on ebay?

See also

• All definitions of sell
• Synonyms for sell
• Antonyms for sell
• Related words to sell
• Sentences with the word sell
• sell pronunciation
• The plural of sell

Matching words

• Words starting with s
• Words starting with se
• Words starting with sel
• Words starting with sell

• Words ending with l
• Words ending with ll
• Words ending with ell
• Words ending with sell

• Words containing the letters s
• Words containing the letters s,e
• Words containing the letters s,e,l

• Words containing s
• Words containing se
• Words containing sel
• Words containing sell

Few letters in the English language sound the same when spelled. For instance, we spell the letters S and C in the same way in some words.

For example, the words sell and cell. Also, these words are homophones, which makes them even more confusing. These words are differently used, yet we pronounce them in the same way. 

Key Takeaways

1. Sell is a verb that means to transfer ownership of something in exchange for money or other goods, while a cell is a noun that refers to a small room or compartment.
2. Sell is an action that involves a buyer and a seller, while a cell is a physical space.
3. Sell is often used in business and commerce, while a cell is used in architecture and construction.

The difference between sell and cell is that sell is a word that denotes the exchange of articles/ goods/ items for money or providing a money service. On the other hand, the word cell depicts a boundary, for instance, a prison cell or a small room. Biologically, the word cell is the primary unit of life. In the human body, every organ comprises a group of cells. 

The word Sell falls under the classification of a noun and a verb. As a verb, it depicts the act of agreeing to exchange something for money. It could also be a point of view/ idea.

For instance, the CEO of the company wanted to sell his idea to the clients. As a noun, it describes the procedure of selling. 

The word cell (strictly a noun) describes a boundary or a small area. For instance, we can also refer to a small room in a monastery (for a monk) as a cell.

Scientifically, the word cell has two meanings, an electric cell or a biological cell. Electric Cell is a component of the battery, while the biological cell is part of the human organ system. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Sell	Cell
Type/ Classification	Noun and Verb	Noun
Definition	Act of exchanging something for money	A closed boundary
Additional meanings	Conveying an idea or a point of view/ opinion	Electric cell, Biological Cell, etc.
Origin	Old English word- Sellan (to supply)	Latin word- Cellula (small/ storeroom)
In sentences	She wanted to sell her bike to celebrate her son’s birthday	The cell is the basic unit of life.

What is Sell? 

As mentioned above, the word Sell acts as a noun and a verb but is frequently used as a verb. As a verb, it denotes the act of exchanging items for money. Only an article doesn’t need to be sold.

It could be an idea or an opinion on a sale. For instance, He wanted to sell his startup idea to the investors present in the auditorium. 

The concept of sales or selling originated after the discovery of currency, earlier barter system was followed, wherein people exchanged goods for goods.

Sales, wherein people exchange money for goods replaced this system. The word sell originated from the Old English word- Sellan and the Old German word- Sellen. Both of them mean the same- to supply or to give. 

We need not relate the word sell to selling goods. It could also mean selling an idea or a proposal, which is invaluable in terms of money. As they say, ‘Ideas are the currency of successes. 

Similarly, providing a money service can also be termed selling or sales. For instance, spas and saloons provide haircuts and other services for money.

Any customer showing interest in a product or service is termed as the buyer and the person providing the service is called the seller. Buyers and sellers are two sides of the same coin called sales. 

According to Oxford Dictionary, currently, the word sell is one of the most frequently used words globally. The significance of selling and sales/ trade has increased tremendously in recent years. 

What is Cell? 

The aforementioned cell is a word that acts strictly as a noun. It denotes a closed space, for instance, a prison cell, a monk’s cell, etc.

We define a biological cell as the component of any living organism, be it unicellular or multicellular. In a multicellular organism, a single cell multiplies to form an organ that transforms into an organ system/ body. 

The word cell arises from the Latin word Cellula, which means a tiny bounded area used to store something.

Thus, it was used to describe a prison or a monastic cell as these rooms are small, with enough things to survive. A monastic cell is a small fragment of a monastery- which contains few monks or nuns. 

In medical terms, a cell is a basic part, hence the size of a biological cell is so minute that it is not visible through naked eyes. It is only visible through a simple or compound microscope.

The average size of a cell varies between 1-100 micrometers. The invention of the electron microscope has aided in improving the research sector.

The electron microscope provides in-depth clear picturization of the cell with its organelles and other components. 

The biological cell received its name because it resembled monasteries/ monastic cells in the Christian religion. The scientist who discovered the cell- Robert Hooke gave it in 1665. 

The word cell could also mean a segment of a vast honeycomb. Nowadays, it is used to quote a politically active group.

In most developed countries, the word cell is used to describe a mobile phone, popularly known as a cellphone.

All these definitions lead to one conclusion- the cell is a word used to describe a tiny compact area that can store material. 

Main Differences Between Sell and Cell 

1. The word Sell can be a noun and a verb, while the word cell is strictly a noun. 
2. Sell originated from the Old English word- Sella, whereas the cell originated from the Latin word- Cellula. 
3. The word sell represents the act of exchanging materials for money, whereas the word cell represents a minute compact area. 
4. The word sell could also mean the act of exchanging an idea or a service without money. For instance, we can include a business proposal in the category of sale. Whereas Cell, scientifically, could also mean a cell in a battery or an electronic device or a biological cell. 
5. We can use the word sell in a sentence as, ‘He wanted to sell his car to meet ends with the loan, while we can use the cell in a sentence as ‘After the judgment, they sent the thief to his cell for life imprisonment. 

References 

1. https://epubs.siam.org/doi/abs/10.1137/130911196 
2. https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annurev.bi.47.070178.003435