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

The concept is the same – connecting shoppers with grocers who have surplus food nearing its best-by date – but the difference is shoppers choose specific food items offered up by the grocer in the app to pick up in the store. —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 1 June 2026

The store is also near shoppers in the Coppell, Grapevine and West Dallas area, according to the grocer. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 June 2026

Jules Rimet, who created the World Cup, was the son of grocers and grew up in fin-de-siècle Paris. —Sam Knight, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

The grocer is highlighting five drinks ahead of summer—from a special type of Sauvignon Blanc to a flavorful bottle of soju—that perfectly encapsulate this season's biggest flavors. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026

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