merchant
Definitions
A person or company that buys and sells goods, especially in large quantities or wholesale
商人；（尤指大宗或批发的）商号
Relating to trade or the carrying of goods by sea (e.g. merchant ship)
（用于名词前）商业的；商船的，海运的
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedFrom Latin mercārī ('to trade,' from merx 'goods') through Old French marchant. The -ant ending marks the doer, so a merchant is literally 'one who trades' — the person standing behind the goods, buying low and selling higher.
Root merx still carries 9 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.merchant ship商船
- 2.merchant navy商船队
- 3.wine merchant酒商
- 4.online merchant网店商家
Example Sentences
- 1.
A wealthy silk merchant funded the construction of the bridge.
- 2.
Online merchants must pay a small fee on every card transaction.
- 3.
The merchant ship was carrying grain across the Mediterranean.
Easily Confused
merchant vs trader vs dealer — a merchant traditionally buys and sells goods wholesale or runs a substantial business (a silk merchant), and today also means any business accepting card payments. A trader buys and sells, often on a smaller scale or in financial markets (a stock trader). A dealer specializes in one product line (a car dealer, art dealer).