peddler

noun

ped·​dler ˈped-lər 

variants or less commonly pedlar

: one who peddles: such as

a

: one who offers merchandise (such as fresh produce) for sale along the street or from door to door

b

: one who deals in or promotes something intangible (such as a personal asset or an idea)

influence peddlers

Synonyms

• hawker
• huckster

Example Sentences

the peddler on the street corner selling baseball caps

Recent Examples on the Web

The risks go beyond a lone disinformation peddler like Slapinski. —Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 21 Dec. 2022

The condemned, a vegetable peddler convicted for axing his girlfriend to death, received a 1,300-volt shock for 17 seconds before prison officials realized one of the generators had a loose belt. —Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 25 Feb. 2022

More cases take the detective’s attention: a teenage girl is found slain in a park; a smut peddler falls to death from a roof. —Tom Nolan, WSJ, 27 May 2022

After working for a while as a peddler, Abraham made enough money to open his own general store. —New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022

Torn between two possible husbands, Ali Hakim (Benj Mirman), the peddler who enjoys playing the field, and Will Parker (Hennessy Winkler), the simple-minded swain desperate to marry her, Sis’ Ado Annie ricochets like a slippery pinball. —Charles Mcnulty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2022

An aged Italian peddler and a white laundryman were stabbed to death by Blacks. —Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 4 Sep. 2022

At the minimum, Congress should require universal, substantive background checks for all gun sales — whether the weapon is sold by a licensed dealer or a private peddler. —Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2022

His father, a street peddler of vegetables, died before Leonardo was born. —New York Times, 27 June 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above