flea market

American  

noun

1. a market, often outdoors, consisting of a number of individual stalls selling old or used articles, curios and antiques, cut-rate merchandise, etc.

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flea market British  

noun

1. an open-air market selling cheap and often second-hand goods

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flea market Idioms  

1. A market, usually held outdoors, where used goods and antiques are sold. For example, We picked up half of our furniture at flea markets. The term is a direct translation of the French marché aux puces and presumably implies that some of the used clothes and furniture might be flea-infested. [1920s]

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Other Word Forms

• flea-marketeer
  noun
• flea-marketer
  noun

Etymology

Origin of flea market

First recorded in 1920–25

Compare meaning

How does flea-market compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• swap meet vs. flea market

Example Sentences

If an old girlfriend buys you a set of cocktail glasses from a flea market, those glasses will always evoke thoughts of that person.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

After shopping, I’ll drop off my vintage finds from the flea market and check in at Lone Fox Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Sick City Records has several fundraisers and flea market pop-ups planned before the end of the year.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

She got hers from a flea market, but it has becoming ever easier to buy knockoff furniture and home goods online.

From Barron's • Nov. 25, 2025

Our troubles began the following morning when I disregarded the itinerary and took the two women to the Chelsea flea market.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris