auctioneer

American  

[awk-shuh-neer] / ˌɔk ʃəˈnɪər /

noun

1. a person who conducts sales by auction.

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verb (used with object)

1. to auction (something).

auctioneer British  

/ ˌɔːkʃəˈnɪə /

noun

1. a person who conducts an auction by announcing the lots and controlling the bidding

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verb

1. (tr) to sell by auction

Etymology

Origin of auctioneer

First recorded in 1700–10; auction + -eer

Example Sentences

One school in Montana churns out America’s auctioneers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Being an effective auctioneer, students are told, is about controlling cadence, pitch, projection and resonance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then as he droned on like a dentist drill hitting bone, he began to sound like a South Carolina auctioneer at a county fair.

From Salon

After meeting with Bonhams auctioneers, the Alberto Giacometti committee said they were genuine and offered to clean the buttons to prepare them for auction.

From BBC

Joe Smith, founder and principal auctioneer at JS Fine Art, said: "It was one of those moments every auctioneer dreams of. We knew it was special, but the response was beyond anything we expected."

From BBC

Related Words

• agent
• clerk
• dealer
• marketer
• merchant
• peddler
• retailer
• salesperson
• saleswoman
• shopkeeper
• trader
• vendor