noun
peddler
PEHD-luh
noun
1
A person who travels around selling small goods.
"A peddler used to come through the village selling pots and pans."
2
A drug dealer.
"Police say the peddler had been operating in the area for months."
How to Use Peddler
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who goes around selling things, often in small amounts — historically goods, but the word extends to drug dealers and, loosely, spreaders of false claims.
Common pairings
traveling peddler
drug peddler
peddler of lies
Word Forms
peddlers plural
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A _____ used to come through the village selling pots and pans.
Etymology
From Middle English peddere, an old word for a hawker or traveling seller of uncertain origin.