greengrocer

American  

[green-groh-ser] / ˈgrinˌgroʊ sər /

noun

Chiefly British.

1. a retailer of fresh vegetables and fruit.

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greengrocer British  

/ ˈɡriːnˌɡrəʊsə /

noun

1. a retail trader in fruit and vegetables

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Other Word Forms

• greengrocery noun

Etymology

Origin of greengrocer

First recorded in 1715–25; green + grocer

Example Sentences

Havel tells the apocryphal story of a greengrocer who refuses to place a sign proclaiming “Workers of the world, unite!” in his shop window.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

By declining to endorse the mantra, Havel wrote, the greengrocer goes from “living within a lie” to “living within the truth.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

A greengrocer, whose shop is just outside the cordon, said footfall is down.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2023

When she was a teenager, her parents, a greengrocer and a cotton weaver, moved the family to north London where she studied jewellery-making and silversmithing before re-training as a teacher.

From Reuters • Dec. 29, 2022

Hassan kissed Aziz quickly, so the greengrocer across the street and his wife—who spoke to their individual cats more than to each other—would not spread rumors that the young couple were indecent.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri