middleman
[ˈmɪdɫ̩ˌmæn] noun, verb
Forms middlemen middlemans middlemanning middlemanned middle man middle-man
- noun An intermediary, agent between two (or more) parties. “act as a middleman”
- noun An intermediate dealer between the manufacturer and the retailer or customer. “The farmer sold his produce directly to stores without a middleman.”
- noun (Ireland, historical) One who rents land in large tracts, and lets it in small portions to the peasantry.
- verb To act as a middleman or intermediary.
Synonyms
grocer intermediary go-between mediator jobber wholesaler interlocutor contact
Etymology
From Middle English myddil man, equivalent to middle + man.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “middleman”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details