–verb (used with object)

1.	to acquire the possession of, or the right to, by paying or promising to pay an equivalent, esp. in money; purchase.

2.	to acquire by exchange or concession: to buy favor with flattery.

3.	to hire or obtain the services of: The Yankees bought a new center fielder.

4.	to bribe: Most public officials cannot be bought.

5.	to be the monetary or purchasing equivalent of: Ten dollars buys less than it used to.

6.	Chiefly Theology. to redeem; ransom.

7.	Cards. to draw or be dealt (a card): He bought an ace.

8.	Informal. a. to accept or believe: I don't buy that explanation. b. to be deceived by: He bought the whole story.

–verb (used without object)

9.	to be or become a purchaser.

–noun

10.	an act or instance of buying.

11.	something bought or to be bought; purchase: That coat was a sensible buy.

12.	a bargain: The couch was a real buy.

—Verb phrases

13.	buy down, to lower or reduce (the mortgage interest rate) by means of a buy-down.

14.	buy in, a. to buy a supply of; accumulate a stock of. b. to buy back one's own possession at an auction. c. to undertake a buy-in. Also, buy into.

15.	buy into, to purchase a share, interest, or membership in: They tried to buy into the club but were not accepted.

16.	buy off, to get rid of (a claim, opposition, etc.) by payment; purchase the noninterference of; bribe: The corrupt official bought off those who might expose him.

17.	buy out, to secure all of (an owner or partner's) share or interest in an enterprise: She bought out an established pharmacist and is doing very well.

18.	buy up, to buy as much as one can of something or as much as is offered for sale: He bought up the last of the strawberries at the fruit market.

—Idiom

19.	buy it, Slang. to get killed: He bought it at Dunkirk.

–adjective

1.	situated, placed, or occurring not far above the ground, floor, or base: a low shelf.

2.	of small extent upward; not high or tall: A low wall surrounds the property.

3.	not far above the horizon, as a planet: The moon was low in the sky.

4.	lying or being below the general level: low ground.

5.	designating or pertaining to regions near sea level, esp. near the sea: low countries.

6.	bending or passing far downward; deep: a low bow.

7.	(of a garment) low-necked; décolleté: The dress she wore was fashionably low.

8.	rising but slightly from a surface: a low relief on a frieze.

9.	of less than average or normal height or depth, as a liquid or stream: The river is low this time of year.

10.	near the first of a series: a low number.

11.	ranked near the beginning or bottom on some scale of measurement: a low income bracket.

12.	indicating the bottom or the point farthest down: the low point in his creative life.

13.	lacking in strength, energy, or vigor; feeble; weak: to feel low and listless.

14.	providing little nourishment or strength, as a diet.

15.	of small number, amount, degree, force, intensity, etc.: low visibility; a generator with a low output.

16.	indicated or represented by a low number: A low latitude is one relatively near the equator.

17.	soft: subdued; not loud: a low murmur.

18.	Music. produced by relatively slow vibrations, as sounds; grave in pitch.

19.	assigning or attributing little worth, value, excellence, or the like: a low estimate of a new book.

20.	containing a relatively small amount: a diet low in starches.

21.	nearing depletion; not adequately supplied: low on funds; Our stock of towels is low.

22.	depressed or dejected: low spirits.

23.	far down in the scale of rank or estimation; humble: of low birth.

24.	of inferior quality or character: a low grade of fabric; a low type of intellect.

25.	lacking in dignity or elevation, as of thought or expression.

26.	mean, base, or disreputable: low tricks; low companions.

27.	coarse or vulgar: entertainment of a low sort.

28.	Boxing. struck or delivered below a contestant's belt.

29.	Biology. having a relatively simple structure; not complex in organization.

30.	Phonetics. (of a vowel) articulated with a relatively large opening above the tongue, as the vowels of hat, hut, hot, ought, etc. Compare high (def. 23).

31.	Automotive. of, pertaining to, or operating at the gear transmission ratio at which the drive shaft moves at the lowest speed with relation to the speed of the engine crankshaft, used esp. for temporarily overcoming the weight or inertia of the vehicle; first: low gear.

32.	Baseball. (of a pitched ball) passing the plate at a level below that of the batter's knees: a low curve.

33.	Cards. having less value than other cards: a low card.

34.	Metallurgy. having a relatively small amount of a specified constituent (usually used in combination): low-carbon steel.

35.	Chiefly British. holding to Low Church principles and practices.

–adverb

36.	in or to a low position, point, degree, etc.: The raiders crouched low in the bushes.

37.	near the ground, floor, or base; not aloft: The plane flew low.

38.	in or to a humble or abject state: Some live low while others live high. She swore she would bring him low.

39.	in or to a condition of depletion, prostration, or death: The gas in the tank is running low.

40.	at comparatively small cost; cheaply: to buy something low and sell it high.

41.	at or to a low pitch, volume, intensity, etc.: to turn the radio low; lights turned down low.

42.	in a low tone; softly; quietly; to speak low.

43.	Archaic. far down in time; late.

–noun

44.	something that is low, as ground or prices: numerous marshy lows in the forest; the recent low in the stock market.

45.	Automotive. low gear; first gear.

46.	Meteorology. an atmospheric low-pressure system; cyclone. Compare high (def. 37).

47.	Cards. a. the lowest trump card. b. a card of small value, or of lower value than other cards. c. the lowest score in a game. d. a player having such a score.

48.	a point of deepest decline, vulgarity, etc.: a new low in tastelessness.

49.	Slang. a period of intense depression or discomfort, when the effects of a drug have subsided.

—Idioms

50.	lay low, a. to overpower or kill; defeat: to lay one's attackers low. b. to knock down; make prostrate. c. Informal. to lie low.

51.	lie low, a. to conceal oneself: He had to lie low for a while. b. to do nothing until the right opportunity develops; bide one's time: Until the dispute is settled, you would do best to lie low.

–noun

1.	the price paid to acquire, produce, accomplish, or maintain anything: the high cost of a good meal.

2.	an outlay or expenditure of money, time, labor, trouble, etc.: What will the cost be to me?

3.	a sacrifice, loss, or penalty: to work at the cost of one's health.

4.	costs, Law. a. money allowed to a successful party in a lawsuit in compensation for legal expenses incurred, chargeable to the unsuccessful party. b. money due to a court or one of its officers for services in a cause.

–verb (used with object)

5.	to require the payment of (money or something else of value) in an exchange: That camera cost $200.

6.	to result in or entail the loss of: Carelessness costs lives.

7.	to cause to lose or suffer: The accident cost her a broken leg.

8.	to entail (effort or inconvenience): Courtesy costs little.

9.	to cause to pay or sacrifice: That request will cost us two weeks' extra work.

10.	to estimate or determine the cost of (manufactured articles, new processes, etc.).

–verb (used without object)

11.	to estimate or determine costs, as of manufacturing something.

—Verb phrase

12.	cost out, to calculate the cost of (a project, product, etc.) in advance: to cost out a major construction project.

—Idiom

13.	at all costs, regardless of the effort involved; by any means necessary: The stolen painting must be recovered at all costs. Also, at any cost.