noun
dealer
DEE-ler/ˈdiːlər/
A person or business that buys and sells goods or financial products.
The secondhand dealer inspects the customer's vase beside other ceramics for sale.
Etymology
The underlying verb meant to divide or distribute, and a dealer was a distributor or negotiator. That role developed into someone whose business is buying and selling goods.
In context
The buyer is a collector of rare coins, and the seller is a coin dealer. They're both experts.
More examples
- An art dealer offers to buy her painting.
- The bank buys government bonds from a securities dealer.
- Several antique dealers rent booths at the weekend market.
Forms
dealer · dealers
deal verb — To buy and sell goods.
dealership noun — A business authorized to sell particular products.
Similar words
- trader
- Often emphasizes frequent transactions, especially in financial markets.
- merchant
- Usually sells physical goods rather than stocks or bonds.