Origin: 1250–1300; ME marchant < OF marcheant < VL *mercātant- (s. of *mercātāns), prp. of *mercātāre, freq. of L mercārī to trade, deriv. of merx goods
c.1200, from Anglo-Fr. marchaunt (O.Fr. marcheant, Fr. marchand), from V.L. *mercatantem (nom. *mercatans) "a buyer," prp. of *mercatare, freq. of L. mercari "to trade" (see market).
One whose occupation is the wholesale purchase and retail sale of goods for profit.
One who runs a retail business; a shopkeeper.
adj.
Of or relating to merchants, merchandise, or commercial trade: a merchant guild.
Of or relating to the merchant marine: merchant ships.
[Middle English merchaunt, from Old French marcheant, from Vulgar Latin *mercātāns, present participle of *mercātāre, frequentative of Latin mercārī, to trade, from merx, merc-, merchandise.]
Main Entry: mer·chant Pronunciation: 'm&r-ch&nt Function: noun : a person who trades in goods esp. of a certain kind and possesses expertise in the area of the goods and the practices of trading in them or who employs others with such expertise merchant with respect to goods of that kind —Uniform Commercial Code>
[mur-chuh
nt] 