peddler
Americannoun
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a person who sells from door to door or in the street.
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a person who tries to promote some cause, candidate, viewpoint, etc.
noun
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a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics
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the usual US spelling of pedlar
Etymology
Origin of peddler
1350–1400; Middle English pedlere, unexplained variant of peder, derivative of ped ( de ) basket
Explanation
A peddler is a specific type of salesperson: someone who travels from town to town selling their wares. A peddler is someone who sells things, but it's a very specific type of selling. Peddlers — also known as hawkers and pitchmen — travel from town to town, especially with a carnival or circus. Peddlers are also found on the street, selling many different things, from jewelry to DVDs. There's a shady implication to this word, since peddlers have included people selling snake oil and other worthless products. Instead of buying from a peddler, you're probably better off at a store.
Vocabulary lists containing peddler
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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The Breadwinner
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A Long Way from Chicago
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Ian leveled the main commercial area in Fort Myers Beach, nicknamed “Times Square,” it destroyed the Pier Peddler — and took all the patches, too.
From Washington Post • Nov. 6, 2022
“Weathered Ground in Beckley is rock solid. The Peddler in Huntington is really up and coming.”
From Washington Times • Mar. 21, 2021
As it has grown, the festival has expanded to Peddler Brewing Co. and Pono Ranch to accommodate larger crowds.
From Seattle Times • May 12, 2017
News that the Peddler in the the movie, who opens the film with his famous “Welcome to Agrabah” monologue, is actually the Genie.
From Time • Oct. 16, 2015
Peddler: applied to the larvae of such Cassid beetles as carry their excrement and cast skins on an anal fork.
From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
