Merchant Meaning
/ˈmɜːtʃənt/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA person who traffics in commodities for profit.
nounThe owner or operator of a retail business.
Sentence Examples
The rich merchant adopted the boy and made him his heir.
Larger pirates often preyed on unarmed merchant ships.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ sold fresh fruits and vegetables at the market every morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The honest ____ was well-respected in the community for always providing high-quality goods at fair prices.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *merks Latin merx Latin mercor Latin mercānsder. Anglo-Norman marchauntbor. Middle English marchaunt English merchant From Middle English marchaunt, from Anglo-Norman marchaunt, from mercans, from the verb mercor (“to trade, deal, sell”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Every day, some sailor's wife, / The masters of some merchant, and the merchant, / Have just our theme of woe."
— 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], line 5:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ____ sold fresh fruits and vegetables at the market every morning.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The honest ____ was well-respected in the community for always providing high-quality goods at fair prices.