merchant
NounSynonyms:
merchandiser
WordNet 3.0
Noun (1)
- a businessperson engaged in retail tradeSynonyms: merchandiser
Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)
Merchant \Mer"chant\, a. Of, pertaining to, or employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant service. [1913 Webster]
Merchant bar, Merchant iron or Merchant steel, certain common sizes of wrought iron and steel bars.
Merchant service or Merchant marine, the mercantile marine of a country. --Am. Cyc.
Merchant ship, a ship employed in commerce.
Merchant tailor, a tailor who keeps and sells materials for the garments which he makes. [1913 Webster]
Merchant \Mer"chant\, v. i. To be a merchant; to trade. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]
Merchant \Mer"chant\, n. [OE. marchant, OF. marcheant, F. marchand, fr. LL. mercatans, -antis, p. pr. of mercatare to negotiate, L. mercari to traffic, fr. merx, mercis, wares. See Market, Merit, and cf. Commerce.]
1.One who traffics on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader. [1913 Webster]
Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad.— Shak.[1913 Webster]
2.A trading vessel; a merchantman. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]
3.One who keeps a store or shop for the sale of goods; a shopkeeper. [U. S. & Scot.] [1913 Webster]
The Devil's Dictionary
MERCHANT, n. One engaged in a commercial pursuit. A commercial pursuit is one in which the thing pursued is a dollar.