merchant
English meaning: Merchant
Definition
A person who traffics in commodities for profit.
Example
“The merchant sold spices imported from distant ports.”
Another example: “Her father ran a small antiques business as a merchant in the old town.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A fairly formal or trade term for someone who buys and sells goods ('a wine merchant'); also describes a type ('a merchant of doom'). Common in business, history and the compound 'merchant navy/marine'.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Old French 'marchant', from Vulgar Latin 'mercatant-', from Latin 'mercari' 'to trade'; 13th century.
Related Words
- seamen
- seaman
- banker
- shipping
- ships
- vessels
- venice
- sunk
- cruiser
- philanthropist
Common Collocations
- merchant ship
- merchant navy
- wine merchant
- merchant bank
- street merchant
Word Forms
merchant (n); merchants; merchandise (n/v); merchandising
Word Tools
Tools & Calculators
Maturity = 146,932.81 · Interest earned = 46,932.81
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B