merchant

[mur-chuhnt]

noun

1. a person who buys and sells commodities for profit; dealer; trader.

2. a storekeeper; retailer.

   a local merchant who owns a store on Main Street.

3. Chiefly British.,  a wholesaler.

adjective

1. pertaining to or used for trade or commerce.

   a merchant ship.

2. pertaining to the merchant marine.

3. Steelmaking.,  (of bars and ingots) of standard shape or size.

merchant

¹

/ ˈmɜːtʃənt /

noun

1. a person engaged in the purchase and sale of commodities for profit, esp on international markets; trader

2. a person engaged in retail trade

3. (esp in historical contexts) any trader

4. derogatory,  a person dealing or involved in something undesirable

   a gossip merchant

5. (modifier)

   1. of the merchant navy

      a merchant sailor

   2. of or concerned with trade

      a merchant ship

verb

1. (tr) to conduct trade in; deal in

Merchant

²

/ ˈmɜːtʃənt /

noun

1. Ismail (ˈɪzmeɪəl). 1936–2005, Indian film producer, noted for his collaboration with James Ivory on such films as Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Europeans (1979), A Room with a View (1986), The Remains of the Day (1993), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

Other Word Forms

• merchantlike adjective
• outmerchant noun
• merchant-like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of merchant¹

1250–1300; Middle English marchant < Old French marcheant < Vulgar Latin *mercātant- (stem of *mercātāns ), present participle of *mercātāre, frequentative of Latin mercārī to trade, derivative of merx goods

Word History and Origins

Origin of merchant¹

C13: from Old French, probably from Vulgar Latin mercātāre (unattested), from Latin mercārī to trade, from merx goods, wares

Example Sentences

"I was basically playing a joke on you, which I rarely do because I'm not really a wind up merchant," adding that Corden is.

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Renaissance Italy’s creative explosion was fueled by trade with the Muslim world, where merchants learned about science, financial innovations and Hindu-Arabic numerals.

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Under international maritime law, naval forces can stop a merchant vessel at sea if they have reasonable suspicion that the vessel is without a nationality.

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He has been accused of being a merchant of negativity throughout his managerial career, a coach whose football suffocates rather than inspires.

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While the character in the movie had memorable one-liners about “the sweet relief of death” and how “hope is an illusion,” in the games these blue Lumas are more helpful merchants of life.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• broker 
• dealer 
• exporter www.thesaurus.com
• operator 
• retailer www.thesaurus.com
• seller 
• shipper 
• shopkeeper 
• trader 
• trafficker www.thesaurus.com
• vendor 
• wholesaler