bargain

II. bargain² BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: bargaignier]
to discuss the conditions of a sale, agreement etc, for example to try and get a lower price
bargain for
workers bargaining for better pay
bargain over
They bargained over the level of wages.
bargain with
women bargaining with traders
—bargainer noun [countable]:
He’s the hardest bargainer in the business.
bargain for something (also bargain on something) phrasal verb
[usually in negatives] to expect that something will happen and make it part of your plans:
They hadn’t bargained for such a dramatic change in the weather.
bargain on doing something
I hadn’t bargained on being stuck in traffic on the way home.
The thief got more than he bargained for, as Mr Cox tripped him up with his walking stick.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

verb intransitive
to discuss prices, conditions, etc. with sb in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable
Syn: negotiate
• ~ (with sb) (about/over/for sth) In the market dealers were bargaining with growers over the price of coffee.
• He said he wasn't prepared to bargain.

Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French bargaine (noun), bargaignier (verb); probably of Germanic origin and related to German borgen ‘borrow’.
Example Bank:
• He bargained hard and was stubborn.
• He tried to bargain with her.
• He was prepared to bargain about money.
• crowds of men bargaining over horses
• the right of workers to bargain collectively
• to bargain for a better salary
• to bargain for a decent wage

• He said he wasn't prepared to bargain.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

bargain / ˈbɑː.ɡɪn / / ˈbɑːr- / verb [ I or T ]

to try to make someone agree to give you something that is better for you, such as a better price or better working conditions:

Unions bargain with employers for better rates of pay each year.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

bargain

/bɑ:(r)gɪn/
(bargains, bargaining, bargained)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Something that is a bargain is good value for money, usually because it has been sold at a lower price than normal.
At this price the wine is a bargain...
N-COUNT

2.
A bargain is an agreement, especially a formal business agreement, in which two people or groups agree what each of them will do, pay, or receive.
I’ll make a bargain with you. I’ll play hostess if you’ll include Matthew in your guest-list...
The treaty was based on a bargain between the French and German governments.
= deal
N-COUNT

3.
When people bargain with each other, they discuss what each of them will do, pay, or receive.
They prefer to bargain with individual clients, for cash...
Shop in small local markets and don’t be afraid to bargain.
= negotiate
VERB: V with n, V
• bar‧gain‧er (bargainers)
A union bargainer said that those jobs have been saved.
N-COUNT
• bar‧gain‧ing
The government has called for sensible pay bargaining.
N-UNCOUNT: oft supp N

4.
If people drive a hard bargain, they argue with determination in order to achieve a deal which is favourable to themselves.
...a law firm with a reputation for driving a hard bargain.
PHRASE: V, ADJ, and N inflect

5.
You use into the bargain when mentioning an additional quantity, feature, fact, or action, to emphasize the fact that it is also involved. You can also say in the bargain in American English.
This machine is designed to save you effort, and keep your work surfaces tidy into the bargain...
She is rich. Now you say she is a beauty into the bargain.
PHRASE: cl PHR [emphasis]

6.
If you keep your side of the bargain, you do what you have promised or arranged to do.
Dealing with this dictator wasn’t an option. He wouldn’t have kept his side of the bargain.
PHRASE: V inflects

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

bargain

²bargain verb -gains; -gained; -gain·ing [no obj] : to discuss an agreement or price in order to make it more appealing
• The price listed is quite high, but the seller might be willing to bargain.
• He was bargaining [=haggling] with the taxi driver over/about the fare.
• Teachers are bargaining [=negotiating] for higher salaries.
bargain away [phrasal verb] bargain (something) away or bargain away (something) : to lose or give up (something) as part of an agreement
• The employees on strike are concerned that the union will bargain away wage increases for other less desirable benefits.
bargain for/on [phrasal verb] bargain for/on (something) : to expect or plan on (something)
• The Internet service is better than what we bargained for. [=better than we expected it to be]
• No one bargained for the change in weather. = No one bargained on the weather changing.
• They bargained on getting married after college.
• He hadn't bargained on how his new position in the company would change the way people treated him. [=he was surprised by how his new position changed the way people treated him]
• The job ended up being more than I had bargained for. [=more difficult than I had expected]
• I got more than I bargained for when I signed up as a volunteer. [=being a volunteer was harder than I expected]
- bar·gain·er noun, pl -ers [count]
• He's a hard bargainer.
- bargaining noun [noncount]
• After hours of hard bargaining, they came to an agreement.
- often used before another noun
• The larger corporation has more bargaining power.
• They are in a good bargaining position.
- see also collective bargaining, plea bargaining