salesman

[seylz-muh n]

See more synonyms on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural sales·men.

a man who sells goods, services, etc.

Origin of salesman

First recorded in 1515–25; sales + -man

Usage note

See -man.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for salesman

Contemporary Examples

You also starred in Death of a Salesman on Broadway with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Andrew Garfield on the Evils of Capitalism, the Hacking Scandal, and Criticism of ‘Spider-Man 2’
Marlow Stern
September 10, 2014
For New Faces of ‘52, a landmark revue, I did a satire on Death of a Salesman and Elia Kazan’s superheavy direction.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview
Alex Belth
February 16, 2014
Another thing for a Jew to do would be to become a salesman.
Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview
Alex Belth
February 16, 2014
A Cox Cable executive, Nagin was a salesman who had never run for office.
From Katrina to the Clink: Ex New Orleans Mayor Heads to Prison
Jason Berry
February 13, 2014
Well, there is certainly ego in the Renaissance artists and, further back, in the self-promotion of a salesman such as Columbus.
The Invention of the Ego in Martin Luther’s Defiance
Thomas Cahill
November 3, 2013

Historical Examples

The house was unlocked, their landlord being a salesman at Covent Garden.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
As for his not encountering the salesman until now, he had been lucky.
They Twinkled Like Jewels
Philip Jos Farmer
She thanked Heaven that Gerald was a genius, not a salesman.
In a Little Town
Rupert Hughes
Some customers are slow to open up and extend their confidence to a salesman.
Dollars and Sense
Col. Wm. C. Hunter
No salesman ever made a distinct hit by telling vulgar stories.
Dollars and Sense
Col. Wm. C. Hunter

British Dictionary definitions for salesman

salesman

noun plural -men

Also called: (fem) saleswoman, (fem) salesgirl, (fem) saleslady a person who sells merchandise or services either in a shop or by canvassing in a designated areaGender-neutral form: salesperson
short for travelling salesman

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for salesman

n.

1520s, from genitive of sale (cf. craftsman, tradesman) + man (n.).

salesman

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}salesman

Usage note

Examples from the Web for salesman

Contemporary Examples

You also starred in Death of a Salesman on Broadway with the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.

For New Faces of ‘52, a landmark revue, I did a satire on Death of a Salesman and Elia Kazan’s superheavy direction.

Another thing for a Jew to do would be to become a salesman.

A Cox Cable executive, Nagin was a salesman who had never run for office.

Well, there is certainly ego in the Renaissance artists and, further back, in the self-promotion of a salesman such as Columbus.

Historical Examples

The house was unlocked, their landlord being a salesman at Covent Garden.

As for his not encountering the salesman until now, he had been lucky.

She thanked Heaven that Gerald was a genius, not a salesman.

Some customers are slow to open up and extend their confidence to a salesman.

No salesman ever made a distinct hit by telling vulgar stories.

salesman

Word Origin and History for salesman

n.

Origin of salesman