distributor

Or dis·trib·ut·er

[dih-strib-yuh-ter]

noun

1. a person or thing that distributes.

2. Commerce.

   1. a person, firm, etc., engaged in the general distribution or marketing of some article or class of goods.

   2. a wholesaler who has exclusive rights to market, within a given territory, the goods of a manufacturer or company.

3. Automotive, Machinery.,  a device in a multicylinder engine that distributes the igniting voltage to the spark plugs in a definite sequence.

4. Printing.

   1. (in a press) one of the rollers for spreading ink on the table, rolling it to a proper consistency, and transferring it to rollers that ink the form or plate.

   2. Also called distributor bar. (in a Linotype) a bar with keylike cuts along its length, for sorting matrices into their proper magazines after type has been cast.

distributor

/ dɪˈstrɪbjʊtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that distributes

2. a wholesaler or middleman engaged in the distribution of a category of goods, esp to retailers in a specific area

3. the device in a petrol engine that distributes the high-tension voltage to the sparking plugs in the sequence of the firing order

Other Word Forms

• subdistributor noun
• underdistributor noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of distributor¹

From the Late Latin word distribūtor, dating back to 1520–30. See distribute, -tor

Example Sentences

The fastener and tool distributor posted net income of $335.5 million, or 29 cents a share, up from $298.1 million, or 26 cents a share, the year prior.

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“Invite them to see our distributors, meet those families. If someone’s willing to take the time to do that, they will feel something, because that’s what we feel every day for these families.”

Read more on Salon

As part of a national settlement that includes opioid distributors and manufacturers, opioid abatement settlement funds are being distributed among the hardest hit areas of the country.

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It started with two small deals involving Durrell, a wholesale distributor of paint, and Preform Sealants, a plastics supplier to auto companies.

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The company said Friday that global shipments—vehicle deliveries to dealers, distributors, or directly from the company to retail and fleet customers—rose to an estimated 1.3 million units.

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Related Words

• dealer 
• trader