grocer

noun

gro·​cer ˈgrō-sər  -shər 

: a dealer in staple foodstuffs, meats, produce, and dairy products and usually household supplies

Examples of grocer in a Sentence

Ask your local grocer if he sells organic fruits and vegetables.

Recent Examples on the Web

Erewhon, the luxury grocer, was a nonnegotiable — not for its groceries, but for the clout, the curiosity and the spectacle. —Jp Mangalindan, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025

The stores will be the first big-box grocers near the homes in the new subdivisions around Haslet and southeast Wise County, where some people drive at least 20 minutes to the closest grocery store. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 20 June 2025

As a grocer that sells many food items from the U.S., Sargent said Kroger isn’t as impacted by higher tariffs on imports from across the globe as other companies. —Melissa Repko, CNBC, 20 June 2025

The company operates more than 50 distribution centers and supplies approximately 30,000 locations, including supermarkets, independent grocers and food service providers. —Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocer, grosser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French groser, grosser, grossour (Middle French grossier), from gros "the greater part, the bulk," en gros "wholesale, in bulk" (derivative of gros, adjective, "large, great, coarse") + -er, -our -er entry 2 — more at gross entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for grocer

• closer
• grosser
• greengrocer

Kids Definition

grocer

noun

gro·​cer ˈgrō-sər 

: a dealer in food and household supplies