wet market

American  

[wet mahr-kit] / ˈwɛt ˈmɑr kɪt /

noun

1. (especially in China and Southeast Asia) a usually open-air market selling perishable food, as meat, seafood, vegetables, and fruit, and often live animals slaughtered on-site.

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Etymology

Origin of wet market

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Most scientists today believe the COVID-19 pandemic began at a Chinese wet market, with the coronavirus in question likely originating from a bat.

From Salon • Jan. 30, 2025

Restaurant worker Dong went to a wet market in central Beijing around lunchtime on Thursday, but did not buy anything.

From Reuters • Aug. 10, 2023

China has consistently denied that the virus leaked from a lab, and has stood by early conclusions that the virus transferred naturally from animals to humans, most likely at a wet market in Wuhan.

From Washington Times • Apr. 17, 2023

There’s a very good chance, an analysis found, that it came from animals in a Wuhan wet market.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2023

The institute is a 40-minute drive from the Huanan wet market where the first cluster of infections emerged in Wuhan.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2023