6  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Merchant  \Mer"chant\,  n.  [OE.  marchant,  OF  marcheant  F. 
  marchand,  fr  LL  mercatans  -antis,  p.  pr  of  mercatare  to 
  negotiate,  L.  mercari  to  traffic,  fr  merx,  mercis,  wares. 
  See  {Market},  {Merit},  and  cf  {Commerce}.] 
  1.  One  who  traffics  on  a  large  scale,  especially  with  foreign 
  countries;  a  trafficker;  a  trader. 
 
  Others  like  merchants,  venture  trade  abroad. 
  --Shak. 
 
  2.  A  trading  vessel;  a  merchantman.  [Obs.]  --Shak. 
 
  3.  One  who  keeps  a  store  or  shop  for  the  sale  of  goods;  a 
  shopkeeper.  [U.  S.  &  Scot.] 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Merchant  \Mer"chant\,  a. 
  Of  pertaining  to  or  employed  in  trade  or  merchandise;  as 
  the  merchant  service. 
 
  {Merchant  bar},  {Merchant  iron}  or  {steel},  certain  common 
  sizes  of  wrought  iron  and  steel  bars. 
 
  {Merchant  service},  the  mercantile  marine  of  a  country.  --Am. 
  Cyc. 
 
  {Merchant  ship},  a  ship  employed  in  commerce. 
 
  {Merchant  tailor},  a  tailor  who  keeps  and  sells  materials  for 
  the  garments  which  he  makes 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Merchant  \Mer"chant\,  v.  i. 
  To  be  a  merchant;  to  trade  [Obs.] 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  merchant 
  n  :  a  businessperson  engaged  in  retail  trade  [syn:  {merchandiser}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Merchant 
  The  Hebrew  word  so  rendered  is  from  a  root  meaning  "to  travel 
  about,"  "to  migrate,"  and  hence  "a  traveller."  In  the  East,  in 
  ancient  times,  merchants  travelled  about  with  their  merchandise 
  from  place  to  place  (Gen.  37:25;  Job  6:18),  and  carried  on  their 
  trade  mainly  by  bartering  (Gen.  37:28;  39:1).  After  the  Hebrews 
  became  settled  in  Palestine  they  began  to  engage  in  commercial 
  pursuits,  which  gradually  expanded  (49:13;  Deut.  33:18;  Judg. 
  5:17),  till  in  the  time  of  Solomon  they  are  found  in  the  chief 
  marts  of  the  world  (1  Kings  9:26;  10:11,  26,  28;  22:48;  2  Chr. 
  1:16;  9:10,  21).  After  Solomon's  time  their  trade  with  foreign 
  nations  began  to  decline  After  the  Exile  it  again  expanded  into 
  wider  foreign  relations,  because  now  the  Jews  were  scattered  in 
  many  lands. 
 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  MERCHANT,  n.  One  engaged  in  a  commercial  pursuit.  A  commercial 
  pursuit  is  one  in  which  the  thing  pursued  is  a  dollar. 
 
 

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