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

John Hatch, vice chair of the ballot committee and a consultant working with Brookshire, said the grocer wants to add Sunday sales to level the playing field. —Dylan Sherman, Arkansas Online, 23 Dec. 2025

The downtown, a strip of cobblestone streets and brick buildings, has a Somali grocer that abuts a Hispanic bakery; locals attend over a dozen churches and several city recreation centers. —Jesse Bedayn, Fortune, 22 Dec. 2025

And perhaps just as important, Homestead has seeded a community of farmers, grocers, restaurateurs, and even winemakers. —Nora Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 21 Dec. 2025

Hours vary by chain and location, and most major grocers will be closed on Christmas Day. —Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 19 Dec. 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