Grocer
/ˈɡroʊ.sər/noun
A person or business that sells food and other household provisions.
Did you know?The word originally distinguished wholesale merchants from retailers, and English grocers later formed powerful medieval trade guilds that helped regulate food commerce.
Etymological Timeline
Late Latin
Latin
grossus
“Thick, large, or coarse; the source of the commercial sense “in bulk””
12th–13th Century
Anglo-French
grosser
“A wholesale merchant or dealer in large quantities”
13th Century
Middle English
grocer
“A wholesale dealer, especially in foodstuffs and provisions”
14th–15th Century
English
grocer
“A merchant dealing in spices, preserved foods, and household goods”
Modern English
English
grocer
“A seller of food and everyday household provisions”