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

Local grocers are also fellow community members, said David Cutler, vice president of media relations & public affairs for the National Grocers Association, which represents independent community grocers. —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 15 Dec. 2025

Inspectors, who check all grocers, food storage, food processing facilities, retail and wholesale bakeries don’t have shutdown power but can drop Stop Use Orders on equipment and areas. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 13 Dec. 2025

The Cincinnati-headquartered grocer currently operates more than 100 locations across the commonwealth, four company manufacturing and distribution facilities and a regional headquarters in Louisville. —Lillian Metzmeier, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Dec. 2025

The 40,000-square-foot space also features a specialty grocer, a wine cellar, an artisan butcher, a flower shop, and five creative grab-and-go counters. —Kat Stinson, Travel + Leisure, 11 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