grocer

American  

[groh-ser] / ˈgroʊ sər /

noun

1. the owner or operator of a store that sells general food supplies and certain nonedible articles of household use, as soaps and paper products.

---

grocer British  

/ ˈɡrəʊsə /

noun

1. a dealer in foodstuffs and other household supplies

---

Etymology

Origin of grocer

1325–75; Middle English < Old French gross ( i ) er wholesale merchant. See gross, -er ²

Explanation

Someone who sells food in a supermarket or convenience store is a grocer. If you can't find your favorite kind of cereal on the shelf, you should ask the grocer to help you. The owner or manager of a grocery store is a grocer. This word once meant "one who buys and sells in gross," or in large quantities, from the Anglo-French grosser. By the 16th century, grocer also meant "merchant selling food," but earlier that person would've been called a spicer. Your neighborhood grocer might sell fresh produce from local farmers, unlike that big box supermarket out by the mall.

Example Sentences

Irwin also sees opportunities in South Africa as the economy begins to reap rewards from structural changes in recent years, with grocer Shoprite among his holdings.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

“Whether you’re a grocer, a meatpacking plant, a vegetable grower, that cost has to be factored in, because it doesn’t matter who you are, you’re faced with it,” Dubuque said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

Similarly, those working in food and beverage service should consider applying to top performers including Costco, Texas-based grocer H-E-B or even the restaurants inside Ikea’s stores, according to the list.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

"When a grocer is faced with those sorts of pricing dynamics in an industry that has razor-thin margins, it makes it incredibly difficult to compete - and it contributes to closures," Van Dyck says.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Felicia trades in her remaining food coupons for every last one, and the grocer throws in a chocolate bar for Ivanito.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García