distributor

noun dis·trib·u·tor \ di-ˈstri-byü-tər , -byə- \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of distributor

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

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Recent Examples of distributor from the Web

In February 2018, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, located in North and South Dakota, filed a federal lawsuit against 24 opioid industry manufacturers and distributors.

— ruth hopkins, Teen Vogue, "Native American Tribes Are Suing the Opioid Industry As People Continue to Die," 13 Apr. 2018
Robertson also floated the idea of the Aberdeen joining a class-action lawsuit against opioid manufacturers and distributors.

— david anderson, The Aegis, "Aberdeen city manager proposes employee pay raises, no tax increases in next budget," 10 Apr. 2018
The film’s distributor, Cineflix Rights, is hoping the royal wedding hubbub will make the movie a larger success outside of Britain.

— erika harwood, Vanities, "Queen Elizabeth and Angelina Jolie Join Forces for a Nature Documentary," 6 Apr. 2018
The government’s analysis relies on an improbable hypothesis: In order to extract higher fees, AT&T would have to withhold Time Warner channels like CNN and TNT from the pay TV distributors.

— edmund lee, Recode, "Here’s what you need to know about the U.S. lawsuit against the AT&T-Time Warner merger," 16 Mar. 2018
Investors in companies from pay-TV distributors like Verizon and Charter to content creators like Disney and 21st Century Fox to tech firms like Netflix, Amazon and Google should pay close attention.

— elizabeth winkler, WSJ, "What Happens If AT&T Beats the Government?," 16 Mar. 2018
The bottled bourbon gets picked up by the distributor and goes to the retailer, Westport Whiskey & Wine.

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "Have we reached peak bourbon? You can now literally make your own from start to finish," 6 Mar. 2018
Among other queries, McCaskill asked Teva and other drug companies about any internal programs to stop drug diversion or investigate suspicious transactions between drug distributors and pharmacies.

— deirdre shesgreen, USA TODAY, "Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill says drug giant is "stonewalling" her opioid investigation," 6 Mar. 2018
The two are accused of obtaining smokeless tobacco products from a Pennsylvania distributor and transporting them illegally to Connecticut.

— edmund h. mahony, courant.com, "Feds Say Tobacco Dealers Bilked State Of $5.8 Million In Taxes," 12 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distributor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of distributor

1526

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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DISTRIBUTOR Defined for English Language Learners

distributor

noun

Definition of distributor for English Language Learners

: a person or company that supplies stores or businesses with goods
: a device that sends electricity to the spark plugs of an engine

DISTRIBUTOR Defined for Kids

distributor

noun dis·trib·u·tor \ di-ˈstri-byü-tər , -byə- \

Definition of distributor for Students

: a person or company that supplies stores or businesses with goods

Learn More about distributor

Spanish Central: Translation of distributor Nglish: Translation of distributor for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of distributor for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about distributor

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distributor

Definition of distributor

Recent Examples of distributor from the Web

First Known Use of distributor

DISTRIBUTOR Defined for English Language Learners

distributor

Definition of distributor for English Language Learners

DISTRIBUTOR Defined for Kids

distributor

Definition of distributor for Students

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DISTRIBUTOR Defined for English Language Learners

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