peddler
Americannoun
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a person who sells from door to door or in the street.
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a person who tries to promote some cause, candidate, viewpoint, etc.
noun
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a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics
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the usual US spelling of pedlar
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of peddler
1350–1400; Middle English pedlere, unexplained variant of peder, derivative of ped ( de ) basket
Explanation
A peddler is a specific type of salesperson: someone who travels from town to town selling their wares. A peddler is someone who sells things, but it's a very specific type of selling. Peddlers — also known as hawkers and pitchmen — travel from town to town, especially with a carnival or circus. Peddlers are also found on the street, selling many different things, from jewelry to DVDs. There's a shady implication to this word, since peddlers have included people selling snake oil and other worthless products. Instead of buying from a peddler, you're probably better off at a store.
Vocabulary lists containing peddler
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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The Breadwinner
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A Long Way from Chicago
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“He is an American manifestation, the peddler at our door,” he says.
From Slate • Feb. 25, 2026
So when a peddler arrives with a rare item and information, the overseer’s interest is piqued.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026
He grew up believing his father was a poor street peddler.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2025
Moreover, skeptics of Scobie's work have accused him of being a peddler for the former Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
From Salon • Nov. 27, 2023
Disguised as a peddler he went to the court where the lad was said to be, with gay ornaments in his pack such as women love, and also some fine weapons.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
