Merchant

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈmɜː(ɹ)tʃənt/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)tʃənt

Alternative forms

• merchaunt obsolete

Origin

From Middle English marchant, from Anglo-Norman marchant, from Latin mercans ("a buyer"), present participle of mercor ("trade, traffic, buy"), from merx ("merchandise, traffic"), from merere ("to gain, buy, purchase, also deserve, merit"); see mercy and merit.

Full definition of merchant

Noun

1. A person who traffics in commodities for profit.
2. The owner or operator of a retail business.
3. A trading vessel; a merchantman.
• 1611, William Shakespeare, , II. i. 5:Every day, some sailor's wife,
  The masters of some merchant, and the merchant,
  Have just our theme of woe.

Derived terms

Related terms

• merchandise
• commerce

Verb

1. As a resident of a region, to buy goods from a non-resident and sell them to another non-resident.a merchanting service