merchant
merchant Lexical Profile
merchant Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying goods to a particular trade.
"The silk merchant traveled across the continent to trade rare textiles with foreign buyers."
North American A retail trader or storekeeper who sells goods directly to the public.
"Local downtown merchants organized a street festival to attract more weekend shoppers."
British A person who is enthusiastic about or habitually promotes a specified, often undesirable activity or quality.
"Critics dismissed the tabloid columnist as a cynical doom merchant who profited from public anxiety."
• adjective
Used for or relating to commercial trade or shipping, especially denoting cargo ships and maritime personnel.
"A large merchant vessel anchored in the harbor to unload its cargo of grain and timber."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Old French 'marchant', from Vulgar Latin 'mercatantem', derived from Latin 'mercari' (to trade, traffic, or deal in), from 'merx' (wares, merchandise), which is also the root of 'commerce' and 'market'.