peddler
Americannoun
-
a person who sells from door to door or in the street.
-
a person who tries to promote some cause, candidate, viewpoint, etc.
noun
-
a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics
-
the usual US spelling of pedlar
Etymology
Origin of peddler
1350–1400; Middle English pedlere, unexplained variant of peder, derivative of ped ( de ) basket
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The rumors about the two girls who had first talked to the peddler’s spirit were just getting started.
From Literature
Kessler the peddler sat on the side of the road, all by himself.
From Literature
For peddlers of body-care products and other hygiene items, from dish detergent to air freshener, winning in the attention economy can include creating a fear of missing out on “limited edition” entertainment tie-ins.
Families popped it over wood stoves; peddlers sold it in paper cones at circuses, carnivals and busy promenades.
So when a peddler arrives with a rare item and information, the overseer’s interest is piqued.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
