horsetrading

See also: horse-trading and horse trading

English

Alternative forms

• horse trading, horse-trading

Etymology

From horse +‎ trading.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

horsetrading (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) Informal negotiating, especially when complex or clever in nature.
   • 2012 September 20, Andrew Brown, “Archbishop of Canterbury succession race begins in earnest”, in The Guardian (online)‎^[1]:

     Next Wednesday, four women and 15 men on the Crown Nominations Commission will gather for two days of prayer and horsetrading to replace Rowan Williams as archbishop of Canterbury.

   • 2022 September 25, Jason Horowitz, “Giorgia Meloni Wins Voting in Italy, in Breakthrough for Europe’s Hard Right”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     It will still be weeks before the new Italian parliament is seated and a new government is formed, leaving plenty of time for political machinations and horse trading in a coalition with major differences.

Derived terms

• horsetrader

Verb

horsetrading

1. present participle and gerund of horsetrade