peddler

especially British, ped·lar,

[ped-ler]

noun

1. a person who sells from door to door or in the street.

2. a person who tries to promote some cause, candidate, viewpoint, etc.

peddler

/ ˈpɛdlə /

noun

1. a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics

2. the usual US spelling of pedlar

Word History and Origins

Origin of peddler¹

1350–1400; Middle English pedlere, unexplained variant of peder, derivative of ped ( de ) basket

Example Sentences

Iris is visibly insecure about Isaac’s conversations with other women, including the strawberry peddler who coos that he has “soft hands,” and his mother, who dials him up to crack inside jokes.

From Los Angeles Times

It is becoming plain that Kennedy is turning the department from a beacon of science-based medicine and public health into a hive of conspiracy theorists and, as Marks wrote, peddlers of “misinformation and lies.”

From Los Angeles Times

He grew up believing his father was a poor street peddler.

From Los Angeles Times

Back home, the president has repeatedly stated he wants the death penalty for convicted drug peddlers.

From Salon

White is one of the country's most prominent peddlers of the "prosperity gospel."

From Salon

Related Words

• vendor