dealer

American  

[dee-ler] / ˈdi lər /

noun

1. a person who buys and sells articles without altering their condition; trader or merchant, especially a wholesaler.

   I got a dealer's discount on this coat.

2. Cards. the player distributing the cards.

3. a person who behaves or acts toward another or others in a specified manner.

   a plain dealer.

4. Slang. a person who buys and sells drugs illegally.

5. a person who buys securities for their own account and retains them until sold to another.

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dealer British  

/ ˈdiːlə /

noun

1. a person or firm engaged in commercial purchase and sale; trader

   a car dealer

2. cards the person who distributes the cards

3. slang a person who sells illegal drugs

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Other Word Forms

• dealership noun
• predealer noun
• subdealer noun

Etymology

Origin of dealer

First recorded before 1000; Middle English delere, Old English dǣlere. See deal ¹, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Cheryl Norris, a 76-year-old who works as an independent antique dealer, has owned a pair of homes in Northern California for decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Things have been tough for Stellantis lately, with the auto maker struggling through high dealer inventories.

From Barron's

Pham said he belongs to a regional dealer network in which members alert one another when burglaries happen nearby, sharing suspect descriptions and stolen inventory lists.

From Los Angeles Times

Whenever officers approached to apprehend the dealer or break up his production facility, the neighbors would blow whistles, shout insults, block streets and otherwise try to thwart the mission.

From The Wall Street Journal

Statistics Canada’s retail survey for December showed sales were down in three of the nine industry segments it tracks, led by a decline at motor-vehicle and parts dealers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• banker
• merchant
• retailer
• trader
• trafficker
• vendor
• wholesaler