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dealer

dealer

282 2.7
A person or business that buys and sells items like art and cars
  • noun
  • /ˈdiːlər/
: comerciante
  • The art dealer showcased stunning paintings at the gallery this weekend.
  • art dealer
  • dealers and collectors
  • dealer's gallery

Who's the biggest supercar dealer, GVE or Tom Hartley?

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Examples

  • - I'm a property dealer, too.

  • And if you allow me, of course, I could show these to some very prominent art dealers.

  • Maybe I'll not be an art dealer anymore.

  • You know, the antique dealer.

  • Four are furniture dealers, and one, a fat lady, owns a factory.

    Academic text (1999)
  • And if I pay cash typically, do the dealers negotiate when purchasing used cars?

  • I just got word, from a contact of mine called Skinny Pete, that a gold dealer out in L.A. has been buying those bricks.

  • This man's an automobile dealer in Corvallis.

  • The grand piano was shipped to a Cincinnati-based Steinway dealer on October 14, 1890.

    Academic text (1994)
  • In upstate New York, a boutique antique dealer commonly lists high-end rare items.

    Academic text (2017)

Synonyms

salesman
vsdealer
298 1.0

A person who sells things in shops or to customers

also applies to businesses or people who both buy and sell items
trader
vsdealer
195 2.1

A person or company that buys and sells things to make money

focuses more on particular high value items like art or cars
vendor
vsdealer
190 2.0

A person or company that sells things, for example at a market

may also emphasize buying goods to resell or trade in assets
seller
vsdealer
184 1.0

A person or company that offers goods for money

also covers people or firms that both buy and sell items or assets
merchant
vsdealer
173 2.1

A person or company that buys and sells goods, often in shops

often points to those working with specific assets like art or cars
salesperson
vsdealer
42 2.2

A person who sells things for a store or company

may instead be an independent buyer and one who sells goods or assets
vender
vsdealer
  • US
34 1.6

A person or business that sells to customers

is broader, including those who buy goods to sell as a business
peddler
vsdealer
11 5.7

A person who travels to sell small goods in streets or markets

is used for people who operate as businesses or in shops rather than roaming
reseller
vsdealer
9 3.7

A person or business that buys goods to sell to others for profit

also includes those who buy and sell original assets rather than only purchased items
hawker
vsdealer
  • UK
5 7.4

A person who sells goods in the street or at markets

more often refers to stationary businesses dealing in specific goods or assets
merchandiser
vsdealer
3 4.5

A person or company that buys and sells goods in shops

is broader and covers buying and selling beyond retail presentation roles
monger
vsdealer
1 8.2

A person who buys and sells goods, often one type like books or fish

is used more broadly for people or businesses selling various goods
retail merchant
vsdealer
1 2.8

A person or company that sells goods to people in small amounts for them to use

often deals in larger assets or trade rather than small public sales
tradesperson
vsdealer
  • UK
1 3.5

A person who buys and sells goods in a shop or market

can also be a business or independent specialist rather than a shop worker

Compounds

241 4.8

A person who sells illegal drugs

21 1.4

A person or company that buys and sells cars

19 3.8

A person who buys and sells paintings or sculptures for clients

wheeler-dealer
  • Informal
4 8.0

A person who makes deals using clever or dishonest methods

broker-dealer
  • Specialized
3 6.1

A person or company that buys and sells stocks and bonds for clients and trades for itself

New Dealer
  • Archaic
1 7.4

A person who supported government programs to help people during the 1930s

double-dealer
  • Offensive
1 8.5

A person who pretends to be a friend but secretly works against others

1 3.2

A person or shop that buys and sells rings and necklaces

A person or company that buys and sells computers

1 9.9

A person who buys and sells people to force them to work without freedom

1 4.6

A person who handles money for other people, like taking and investing it

1 2.2

A business that buys and sells trucks

1 3.6

A person or shop that buys and sells stamps for collectors

How Large

wholesaler
20 3.5
distributor
52 3.5
dealer
282 2.7
retailer
217 2.4
seller
184 1.0

Surface Forms

dealer singular
dealers plural

Morphology

dealer = deal (transparent) = deal + er

Agentive '-er' added to the verb 'deal' yields 'dealer' meaning 'one who deals (trades or distributes)', so the derivation is directly clear.

Etymology

Dealer comes from the verb deal, which meant 'to give out, divide, or trade', plus the ending -er that means 'a person'. So a dealer is someone who buys and sells goods like art, cars or gold.