purveyor
Americannoun
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a person who purveys, provides, or supplies.
a purveyor of foods; a purveyor of lies.
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Old English Law. an officer who provided or acquired provisions for the sovereign under the prerogative of purveyance.
noun
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(often plural) a person, organization, etc, that supplies food and provisions
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a person who spreads, repeats, or sells (information, lies, etc)
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a person or thing that habitually provides or supplies a particular thing or quality
a purveyor of humour
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history an officer providing or exacting provisions, lodging, etc, for a sovereign
Etymology
Origin of purveyor
1250–1300; Middle English pourveour < Anglo-French; see purvey, -or 2
Explanation
A purveyor is someone who supplies goods — often food or drinks. If you're a seafood purveyor, you will always smell a bit fishy — which is no surprise, considering that you sell cod and haddock all day long. A purveyor can be someone who provides food or drinks, as in the popcorn purveyor who walks up and down through the stands of a baseball game trying to peddle his salty treats. When you go to the circus you will see clowns, who are purveyors of silliness because of their repertoire of fun and hilarious stunts.
Vocabulary lists containing purveyor
Fast Food Nation
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This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
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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.
After losing its relevance as a purveyor of tech-bro sneakers, Allbirds wants to become an artificial-intelligence company — and its stock is up more than 300% on record volume.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
The cheeky Midwestern T-shirt purveyor Raygun has an “Iowa Needs Insufferable Wenches” shirt that raises money for their efforts.
From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026
Mr. Luhrmann is a purveyor of tabloid cinema—punchy, entertaining, sensationalist, intensely allergic to stasis.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
In the case of pet-food purveyor Freshpet —our worst pick, with a decline of 54%—we not only misunderstood the company’s moat but got the timing wrong, too.
From Barron's • Jan. 29, 2026
Parked in the middle is the “roach coach,” purveyor of coffee and rolls.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
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.
