Noun

(countable) A specific commercial enterprise or establishment.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-22, volume=407, issue=8841, page=68, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= T time , passage=The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them, which is then licensed to related businesses in high-tax countries, is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.}}

(countable) A person's occupation, work, or trade.

(uncountable) Commercial, industrial, or professional activity.

(uncountable) The volume or amount of commercial trade.

* {{quote-magazine, title=No hiding place

, date=2013-05-25, volume=407, issue=8837, page=74, magazine=(The Economist) citation , passage=In America alone, people spent $170 billion on “direct marketing”—junk mail of both the physical and electronic varieties—last year. Yet of those who received unsolicited adverts through the post, only 3% bought anything as a result. If the bumf arrived electronically, the take-up rate was 0.1%. And for online adverts the “conversion” into sales was a minuscule 0.01%. That means about $165 billion was spent not on drumming up business , but on annoying people, creating landfill and cluttering spam filters.}}

(uncountable) One's dealings; patronage.

(uncountable) Private commercial interests taken collectively.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-08-10, volume=408, issue=8848, magazine=(The Economist), author=Schumpeter

, title= Cronies and capitols , passage=Policing the relationship between government and business in a free society is difficult. Businesspeople have every right to lobby governments, and civil servants to take jobs in the private sector.}}

(uncountable) The management of commercial enterprises, or the study of such management.

(countable) A particular situation or activity.

(countable) An objective or a matter needing to be dealt with.

*

(uncountable) Something involving one personally.

(uncountable, parliamentary procedure) Matters that come before a body for deliberation or action.

(travel, uncountable) Business class, the class of seating provided by airlines between first class and coach.

* {{quote-book, 1992, James Wallace and Jim Erickson, Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire, page=154 citation

, passage=Gates, who always flew business or coach, didn't particularly like the high air fares Nishi was charging to Microsoft,

(acting) Action carried out with a prop or piece of clothing, usually away from the focus of the scene.

* {{quote-book, 1983, Peter Thomson, Shakespeare's Theatre, page=155 citation

, passage= The business with the hat is a fine example of the difficulty of distinguishing between 'natural' and 'formal' acting.}}

(countable, rare) The collective noun for a group of ferrets.

* {{quote-book, 2004, , The Jaguar Knights: A Chronicle of the King's Blades, page=252 citation

, passage=I'm sure his goons will go through the ship like a business of ferrets, and they'll want to look in our baggage. }}

(uncountable, slang, British) Something very good; top quality. (possibly from "the bee's knees")

(slang, uncountable) Excrement, particularly that of a non-human animal.

Noun

(en noun)

A sentence, phrase or word which asks for information, reply or response; an interrogative.

* , chapter=4

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=I told him about everything I could think of; and what I couldn't think of he did. He asked about six questions' during my yarn, but every ' question had a point to it. At the end he bowed and thanked me once more. As a thanker he was main-truck high; I never see anybody so polite.}}

A subject or topic for consideration or investigation.

A doubt or challenge about the truth or accuracy of a matter.

The story is true beyond question .

He obeyed without question .

* Bible, John iii. 25

There arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

* Francis Bacon

It is to be to question , whether it be lawful for Christian princes to make an invasive war simply for the propagation of the faith.

A proposal to a meeting as a topic for deliberation.

interrogation by torture

* Macaulay

The Scottish privy council had power to put state prisoners to the question .

(obsolete) Talk; conversation; speech.

Made she no verbal question ? Shakespeare King Lear ca. 1606