merchant









merchant


noun

  1. a person who buys and sells commodities for profit; dealer; trader.
  2. a storekeeper; retailer: a local merchant who owns a store on Main Street.
  3. Chiefly British. a wholesaler.

adjective

  1. pertaining to or used for trade or commerce: a merchant ship.
  2. pertaining to the merchant marine.
  3. Steelmaking. (of bars and ingots) of standard shape or size.

noun

  1. a person engaged in the purchase and sale of commodities for profit, esp on international markets; trader
  2. mainly US and Canadian a person engaged in retail trade
  3. (esp in historical contexts) any trader
  4. derogatory a person dealing or involved in something undesirablea gossip merchant
  5. (modifier)
    1. of the merchant navya merchant sailor
    2. of or concerned with tradea merchant ship

verb

  1. (tr) to conduct trade in; deal in

noun

  1. Ismail (ˈɪzmeɪəl). 1936–2005, Indian film producer, noted for his collaboration with James Ivory on such films as Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Europeans (1979), A Room with a View (1986), The Remains of the Day (1993), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

n.c.1200, from Anglo-French marchaunt “merchant, shopkeeper” (Old French marcheant, Modern French marchand), from Vulgar Latin *mercatantem (nominative *mercatans) “a buyer,” present participle of *mercatare, frequentative of Latin mercari “to trade, traffic, deal in” (see market). Meaning “fellow, chap” is from 1540s; with a specific qualifier, and suggesting someone who deals in it (e.g. speed merchant “one who enjoys fast driving”), from 1914. adj.c.1400, from merchant (n.) and from Old French marcheant (adj.).

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