distributor

noun

dis·​trib·​u·​tor di-ˈstri-byü-tər 

-byə-

1

: one that distributes

2

: one that markets a commodity

especially : wholesaler

3

: an apparatus for directing the secondary current from the induction coil to the various spark plugs of an engine in their proper firing order

Examples of distributor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But in a one-off game to make club history, against opponents who will squeeze high and leave spaces in behind and out wide to be attacked, a bold on-the-ball display from one of their most dangerous distributors is exactly what Palace will need at Wembley. —Thom Harris, New York Times, 15 May 2025

These medication counterfeiters and distributors often work closely with packaging counterfeiters. —Robert Glatter, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025

Clark may already be the best passer and distributor in the history of the game. —Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 May 2025

Commercially, deft handling by discerning arthouse distributors will be required to draw audiences to a knotty, novelistic work that is, in the most rewarding possible way, difficult to package or summarize. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 14 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1526, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for distributor

• contributor

Kids Definition

distributor

noun

dis·​trib·​u·​tor dis-ˈtrib-yət-ər 

1

: one that distributes

2

: an agent or agency for marketing goods

3

: a device that sends electric current to the spark plugs of an engine so that they fire in the proper order