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

(es)

Attestation of a fact or event; testimony.

She can bear witness , since she was there at the time.

* Shakespeare

May we with the witness of a good conscience, pursue him with any further revenge?

One who sees or has personal knowledge of something.

As a witness to the event, I can confirm that he really said that.

* Shakespeare

Thyself art witness I am betrothed.

* R. Hall

Upon my looking round, I was witness to appearances which filled me with melancholy and regret.

Someone called to give evidence in a court.

The witness for the prosecution did not seem very credible.

Something that serves as evidence; a sign.

* Bible, Genesis xxxi. 51, 52

Laban said to Jacob, This heap be witness', and this pillar be ' witness .