1. The taking possession of commodities on their way to the market.
2. The purchase of goods on their way to the market, with the intention of reselling them at a higher price.
3. The deterrence of having sellers offer their goods at market at a reasonable price; specif., the crime of inhibiting normal trading by persuading sellers to raise their prices on goods or dissuading them from offering the goods in a particular market, or by purchasing as much as possible of certain goods before they reach the market to drive up prices.