sutler

American  

[suht-ler] / ˈsʌt lər /

noun

1. (formerly) a person who followed an army or maintained a store on an army post to sell provisions to the soldiers.

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sutler British  

/ ˈsʌtlə /

noun

1. (formerly) a merchant who accompanied an army in order to sell provisions to the soldiers

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Other Word Forms

• sutlership noun

Etymology

Origin of sutler

1580–90; < early Dutch soeteler (now zoetelaar ), equivalent to soetel ( en ) to do dirty work, work poorly (akin to soot ) + -er -er ¹

Example Sentences

One tent bore a sutler sign - the traveling salesmen of the time who followed soldiers to peddle provisions.

From Washington Times • Jul. 2, 2016

This job fell naturally to Captain Cannaday, who was acclaimed sutler by the beleaguered refugees.

From Time Magazine Archive

When he cried, his nursery maid, a former sutler, used to bellow at him: "Silence in the company!"

From Time Magazine Archive

The very location had been selected with the thought to bring dire troubles upon the unpopular sutler, who so often had taken advantage of the boys in their purchases of his supplies.

From The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam by Tomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)

The soldiers, under whose charge the boys were being conducted to the place where they were to display their skill with the rifles, were laughing heartily at the impotent rage of the little sutler.

From The Young Sharpshooter at Antietam by Tomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)