Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

traveling salesman

noun

Definition of traveling salesman

  1. :  a traveling representative of a business concern who solicits orders usually in an assigned territory

See traveling salesman defined for English-language learners

See traveling salesman defined for kids

From the M-W Editors

alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time
istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz
decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?
image2144101468
Better Ways to Say "This Sucks"

1885

First Known Use of traveling salesman

1885

TRAVELING SALESMAN Defined for English Language Learners

traveling salesman

noun

Definition of traveling salesman for English Language Learners

  • : a person whose job is to travel to different places in a particular area and to sell products or get orders from customers

Learn More about traveling salesman

  1. Nglish: Translation of traveling salesman for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up traveling salesman? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

bilious

play

of or relating to bile

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. surrogate mother From TMZ to the dictionary.

  2. zealot A fanatical partisan

  3. stonewall to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

  4. scurrilous Containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

  5. depose That word might not mean what you think it means.

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

traveling salesman

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
  • Which is a synonym of garner?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image2144101468
That Sucks Word Alternatives

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time

Once more, with 'feels'

alt-59480e09b8844
A Pineapple Is An Apple (Kind Of)

Pineapple once had a different, more internationally common name.

alt-594938b88b98e
Read This to Get 'Smart'

A thinking person's guide

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz

Summer's first WOTD quiz.

Take the quiz
alt-5941ad7527c3c
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Is that your picture under "Largest Vocabulary"?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Word Winder's CrossWinder

A game of winding words.

Play the game