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Business Word/Phrase of the Day

word-phrase-descEvery day we publish a business word or phrase together with audio pronunciation, phonetics, definition and example sentences. This is a great way to improve your workplace vocabulary as well as your pronunciation. To receive 'Business Word/Phrase of the Day' by email, just subscribe to our newsletter from the link above. 

TAKE OVER (SOMETHING)  

Phrase

  • to take control or possession of something.
Example Sentence: The government decided to take over the bank after it declared bankruptcy.
 

OUT OF THE LOOP  

Phrase

  • to not be involved or taking part in a job.
Example Sentence: I was out of the loop during the negotiations and did not know what was going on.
 

LEAD TIME /lēd tīm/

phrase

  • the time from when an order is sent from a customer to a supplier until the ordered products arrive at the customer
Example Sentences:Our lead time is between 7 and 10 days depending on the customer’s location.
Is there anything you can do to shorten your lead time? We need the delivery within a week.
 

CARRY A MOTION  

Phrase

  • to support or win acceptance for a motion/proposal.
Example Sentence: I was able to carry a motion to cancel the activities for next week.
 

BLUE CHIP blu tʃɪp

Noun

  • a company/investment that is usually profitable; whose shares that can be traded profitably and reliably in the stock market.
Example Sentence: US blue chip stocks fell today as the housing sector remains deeply depressed.
 

TO LOSE OUT TO  

Phrasal Verb

  • to not get a deal/business because a competitor has offered better conditions/lower prices etc and thus got it
Example Sentence: Artists of the music and film industry are losing out to piracy so it's a question of life and death to work out ways in which to get back at least some of the revenues.
 

TO SUBCONTRACT sʌbkənˈtrækt

Verb

  • to pay a (third party) company or a person to carry out work that you have been given a contract to do earlier.
Example Sentence: Though we subcontracted manufacturing ages ago, we think carrying out the tasks related to design ourselves is crucial if we want to maintain the quality our customers are used to.
 

TO DISCONTINUE dɪskənˈtɪnyu

Verb

  • to stop doing something e.g. production of a product.
Example Sentence: The company decided to discontinue operations last month because the factory was making losses.
 

REMORTGAGE reɪmɔrgɪdʒ

Verb

  • arrange a second mortgage (= an agreement with a bank or similar organization in which you borrow money to buy property), or increase the first mortgage, especially in order to obtain more money.
Example Sentence: In order to raise funds to pay off my debts, I’ve had to remortgage my apartment.
 

INSIDER DEALING/TRADING  

Phrase

  • Buying or selling with the help of information known only to those connected with the business.
Example Sentence: Several executives in the company have been charged by the financial authorities with insider trading.
 

FLOATED /floʊt/

Verb

  • start selling shares in a business or company for the first time
Example Sentences: The company plans to float next year.
We floated on the stock exchange last year.
 

TO TRANSFER FUNDS  

Verb

  • to move money from one account to another.
Example Sentence: He wanted to transfer funds from his savings account to his checking account.
 

HIGHER haɪər

adjective

  • Higher is the comparative form of the common adjective high, which we are sure you are familiar with.
Example Sentences: Every year he moves higher up the company.
They may accept a slightly higher offer.
 

TO COOK THE BOOKS  

phrase

  • To cook the books is to change numbers dishonestly in the accounts of an organization, especially in order to steal money from it or to avoid paying corporation tax.
Example Sentences: Their accounts were completely fake. They had been cooking the books for years.
His company never pays any tax. I wonder if they're cooking the books.
 

GOODS /go̵odz/

noun

  • Things we buy and sell that can be made or grown such as clothes, food and cars.
Example Sentences:What is the total value of the goods in this shipment?
The goods we ordered are currently in port awaiting clearance from customs.
 
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