stock-in-trade

/'stɔkin'treid/

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Word: Stock-in-trade

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: "Stock-in-trade" refers to the tools, equipment, or skills that are essential and regularly used in a particular profession or job. It can also mean the essential qualities or attributes that someone uses to succeed in their work.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "stock-in-trade" when you want to talk about the main tools, skills, or characteristics that are important for a specific job.
• Typically used in a professional context.

Example Sentence:

• "For a chef, good knife skills are a crucial part of their stock-in-trade."
• "In sales, the ability to connect with customers is the salesperson's stock-in-trade."

Advanced Usage:

• The term can also be used metaphorically to describe non-physical attributes. For example, "Creativity is a writer's stock-in-trade."

Variants:

• There are no direct variants of "stock-in-trade," but you can use related phrases like "tools of the trade" or "trade secrets" to describe similar concepts.

Different Meanings:

• While "stock-in-trade" primarily relates to professions, it can also refer to the standard practices or methods that are typical in a certain field.

Synonyms:

• Tools of the trade
• Equipment
• Essentials
• Tradecraft

Related Idioms:

• "Tools of the trade" - This phrase refers to the basic equipment or skills needed for a job.
• "The name of the game" - This idiom refers to the most important aspect of something, similar to "stock-in-trade."

Phrasal Verbs:

There are no specific phrasal verbs that directly relate to "stock-in-trade," but you might encounter phrases like "get down to business" which means to start focusing on the important aspects of a job.

Summary:

In summary, "stock-in-trade" is a term that refers to the essential tools, skills, or qualities that are vital in a particular profession.

Academic

Noun

1. any equipment constantly used as part of a profession or occupation
   • friendliness is the salesman's stock in trade