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shopkeeper

shopkeeper

31 1.9
A person who owns or runs a small store and sells goods to customers
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɑpˌkipər/
translation icon : tendero
  • After a long day, the shopkeeper closed the store and counted the cash from the register.
  • shopkeepers and artisans
  • shopkeepers and merchants
  • small shopkeepers

He goes back to Chicago, works for his father-in-law, some shopkeeper in Chicago.

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Examples

  • On either side of me, shopkeepers were tending their wares in small spaces dark as caves.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I saw you had it, but the shopkeeper distracted you and you forgot it.

  • But me, I'm a shopkeeper.

  • A few shopkeepers, a few professionals.

  • The street was quiet, with only other shopkeepers fighting the miserable weather.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • All groups had laborers who advanced to become craftsmen, shopkeepers, and professionals.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Price liberalization measures help small producers, shopkeepers, traders, and craftsmen by lifting state controls on producer prices.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Housewives open shutters, shopkeepers sweep storefronts of fruit stands, pottery, and linen shops.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The shopkeeper greeted every customer with a warm smile and helpful advice.

  • The shopkeeper displayed colorful signs in the window to attract more customers.

Synonyms

retailer
vsshopkeeper
205 2.4

A shop or company that sells goods to people for home use

is specifically about owning or managing a small shop rather than any seller
merchant
vsshopkeeper
203 2.1

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

is narrower, focusing on owner or manager of a small retail establishment
grocer
vsshopkeeper
29 1.0

A person who runs a shop that sells food and small things for the home

covers any small shop owner while this one limits products to food
bookseller
vsshopkeeper
22 2.1

A person or shop that sells books

applies to all small shop owners not only to those selling books
storekeeper
vsshopkeeper
7 2.7

A person who owns or manages a shop and looks after its daily work

is framed as the owner or manager specifically of small shops
businessperson
vsshopkeeper
7 2.9

A person who owns or runs a company

is limited to owning or managing a small retail shop rather than general business
haberdasher
vsshopkeeper
3 8.9

A person who sells men's clothes, accessories, and sewing items like buttons

is general for any shop owner and not specific to clothing items
merchandiser
vsshopkeeper
3 4.5

A person or company that buys and sells goods in shops

refers specifically to owning or managing a small shop, not a corporate role
tradesman
vsshopkeeper
  • UK
1 3.7

A person who runs a shop that sells goods or services

is neutral about gender and highlights shop ownership or management
shopkeep
vsshopkeeper
  • Archaic
1 5.3

A person who runs or works in a small shop

focuses on owning or managing a small retail business rather than working
outfitter
vsshopkeeper
1 6.1

A person or shop that sells men's clothes, especially suits and formal clothes

is for small shop owner in various goods, not only menswear
shopman
vsshopkeeper
  • Archaic
4.2

A man who works in a shop and helps customers

is gender neutral and applies to any owner or manager
market keeper
vsshopkeeper
  • UK
4.8

A person who runs a market stall or shop and sells goods to customers

is used for shops in general, not limited to market stalls
tradeswoman
vsshopkeeper
  • UK
6.4

A woman who owns or runs a shop that sells things

is neutral about gender and highlights shop ownership or management
tradesperson
vsshopkeeper
  • UK
3.5

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

specifies owning or managing a small retail business rather than general trade
retail merchant
vsshopkeeper
2.8

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

focuses on a small shop owner or manager rather than broader sellers
supermarketeer
vsshopkeeper
6.7

A person who runs a supermarket

focuses on small shop ownership rather than running a large supermarket
supermarketer
vsshopkeeper
4.4

A person who owns or manages a large store that sells food

refers to an individual who owns or manages a small shop, not companies

Antonyms

1.0

A person or company that buys from a business

How Senior

shopkeeper
31 1.9
shopkeep
  • Archaic
1 5.3
shop assistant
  • UK
1 1.2

Surface Forms

shopkeeper singular
shopkeepers plural

Morphology

shopkeeper = shop + keeper (transparent) = shop + keeper

Clear compound of 'shop' + 'keeper' meaning a person who keeps or runs a shop; learners can derive this directly.

Etymology

Shopkeeper is made of two simple parts: shop and keeper. A shop is a place that sells things and keeper comes from 'keep', meaning 'to hold' or 'look after' (think of a goalkeeper), so a shopkeeper is someone who 'looks after' and runs a shop.