n.
- a person's regular occupation or trade.
▸work to be done or matters to be attended to.
- a person's concern.
- commercial activity.
▸a commercial organization.
- informal a matter:
the business of trying to find her mother.
- Theatre actions other than dialogue in a play.
-
(the business)
Brit. informal an excellent person or thing.
Phrase
- in business
informal able to begin something. - in the business of
engaged in or prepared to engage in. - like nobody's business
informal extraordinarily. - send someone about their business
dated tell someone to go away.
Etymology
OE bisignis ‘anxiety’ (see busy, -ness); sense 2 dates from ME and is the root of current senses.