grocer
UK /ˈɡɹəʊ.sə/ · US /ˈɡɹoʊ.səɹ/ noun, verb
Forms grocers grocering grocered
- noun A person who retails groceries (foodstuffs and household items) from a grocery.
- noun A retail store that sells groceries, a grocery store.
- verb (uncommon) To sell groceries; to act as a grocer.
Etymology
From Old French grossier (“wholesaler”). Compare gross.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A trader who deals in tea, sugar, spices, coffee, fruits, and various other commodities. Grocer's itch (Med.), a disease of the akin, caused by handling sugar and treacle.
Etymology [Formerly written grosser, orig., one who sells by the gross, or deals by wholesale, fr. F. grossier, marchand grossier, fr. gros large, great. See Gross.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “grocer”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details