peddler

See also: Peddler

English

Alternative forms

pedlar (UK)
pedler (dated)

Etymology

From Middle English pedlere, pedlare, pedeler, alteration of Middle English peddere (“hawker, peddler”), of uncertain origen. Compare Medieval Latin pedārius, from Latin pedāre (“to furnish with feet; prop up”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛdlə/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˈpɛdləɹ/
Audio (US): (file)

Noun

peddler (plural peddlers)

An itinerant seller of small goods.
Synonyms: hawker, (obsolete) chapman, huckster, monger, colporteur, solicitor
A drug dealer.
- 1953, Tom Lehrer, “The Old Dope Peddler”, in Songs by Tom Lehrer, Pantheon, published 1981, page 18:
  Here's a cure for all your troubles
  Here's an end to all distress
  It's the old dope peddler
  With his powdered happiness
(figurative) A fake-news disseminator; A conspiracy-theory propagator.

Derived terms

essence peddler
peddle (back-formation)

Translations

itinerant seller of small goods

Arabic: جَوَّال (ar) m (jawwāl), بَائِع مُتَجَوِّل (bāʔiʕ mutajawwil)
Armenian: չարչի (hy) (čʻarčʻi)
Azerbaijani: çərçi
Belarusian: карабе́йнік m (karabjéjnik), каро́бачнік m (karóbačnik), піліпо́н m (pilipón), афе́ня m (afjénja), разно́счык m (raznósčyk)
Bulgarian: амбулантен търговец m (ambulanten tǎrgovec)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 小販／小贩 (zh) (xiǎofàn)
Dutch: marskramer (nl) m, venter (nl) m
Esperanto: kolportisto
Finnish: kulkukauppias (fi), kaupustelija (fi)
French: colporteur (fr) m, marchand ambulant m
Galician: chioleiro m, mercachifre m, bofón m, bufariñeiro m
German: Hausierer (de) m, Krämer (de) m, Höker m
Greek: γυρολόγος (el) m (gyrológos)
Ancient: μεταβολεύς m (metaboleús)
Hungarian: házaló (hu), ügynök (hu), vigéc (hu)
Irish: peidléir m, hácaeir m, joltaeir m, mangaire m, fear cairte m
Italian: padellaio m, vucumprà (derogative)
Japanese: 鬻人 (hisakihito), 鬻人 (hisagibito), 鬻女 (hisakime), 鬻女 (hisagime)
Kumyk: элтивчю (eltiwçü), табушдурувчу (tabuşduruwçu)
Latin: circulātor m, circulātrix f
Macedonian: праматар m (pramatar)
Ngazidja Comorian: mcuuzi class 1/2
Norman: chinneux m, colporteux m, hotteux m
Occitan: colejaire m, mercadieiron m
Ottoman Turkish: بوغچه‌جی (boğçacı), اسكیجی (eskici), قولتقجی (koltukcu)
Polish: domokrążca (pl) m
Portuguese: camelô (pt) m or f, ambulante (pt) m or f, vendedor ambulante m, mascate (pt) m, vendilhão m, prestamista
Romanian: negustor ambulant m, telal (ro) m, marchitan (ro) m, tolbaș (ro) m, coropcar (ro) m
Russian: коробе́йник (ru) m (korobéjnik), разно́счик (ru) m (raznósčik), офе́ня (ru) m (ofénja), лото́чник (ru) m (lotóčnik)
Scottish Gaelic: ceannaiche-siubhail m
Spanish: buhonero (es) m, vendedor ambulante (es) m, mantero (derogative), topmantero (derogative)
Swedish: krämare (sv) c, nasare (sv) c, hälare (sv) c (stolen goods), säljare (sv) c, månglare (sv) c, handlande (sv) c, handelsresande c, knalle (sv) c, hökare (sv) c
Turkish: çerçi (tr)
Ukrainian: коробе́йник (uk) m (korobéjnyk), офе́ня m (ofénja), розно́шувач m (roznóšuvač)
Welsh: pedler m, pacmon m
Yiddish: פּעדלער m (pedler)

drug dealer — see drug dealer

fake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator

German: Schwätzer (de) m, Fabulant m (exalted), Waschweib (de) n (pejorative)
Greek: διαδότης (el) m (diadótis), διαδότρια f (diadótria)
Macedonian: фанатизи́ран заго́ворник m (fanatizíran zagóvornik)
Swedish: Krösa-Maja c