Meanings
nounpeddler (plural peddlers)
plural peddlers · alternative UK pedlar · alternative dated pedler
- A drug dealer.
Here's a cure for all your troubles Here's an end to all distress It's the old dope peddler With his powdered happiness
1953, Tom Lehrer, “The Old Dope Peddler”, in Songs by Tom Lehrer, Pantheon, published 1981, page 18 - figurativelyA fake-news disseminator; A conspiracy-theory propagator.
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
nounsomeone who travels about selling their wares (as on the streets or at carnivals)
nounan unlicensed dealer in illegal drugs
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishpeddere“hawker, peddler”
- Middle Englishpedlere
- Englishpeddler
From Middle English pedlere, pedlare, pedeler, alteration of Middle English peddere (“hawker, peddler”), of uncertain origin. Compare Medieval Latin pedārius, from Latin pedāre (“to furnish with feet; prop up”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μεταβολεύς
- μεταβολεύς (metaboleús)itinerant seller of small goods
Arabic جَوَّال, بَائِع مُتَجَوِّل
- جَوَّال (jawwāl)itinerant seller of small goods
- بَائِع مُتَجَوِّل (bāʔiʕ mutajawwil)itinerant seller of small goods
Bulgarian амбулантен търговец
- амбулантен търговец (ambulanten tărgovec)itinerant seller of small goods
Chinese Mandarin 小販 /小贩
- 小販 /小贩 (xiǎofàn)itinerant seller of small goods
Czech podomní prodavač
- podomní prodavačitinerant seller of small goods
Dutch marskramer, venter
- marskrameritinerant seller of small goods
- venteritinerant seller of small goods
Esperanto kolportisto
- kolportistoitinerant seller of small goods
Finnish kulkukauppias, kaupustelija
- kulkukauppiasitinerant seller of small goods
- kaupustelijaitinerant seller of small goods
French colporteur, marchand ambulant
- colporteuritinerant seller of small goods
- marchand ambulantitinerant seller of small goods
German Hausierer, Krämer
- Hausiereritinerant seller of small goods
- Krämeritinerant seller of small goods
- Hökeritinerant seller of small goods
- Schwätzerfake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
- Fabulantfake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
- Waschweibfake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
Greek γυρολόγος, διαδότης
- γυρολόγος (gyrológos)itinerant seller of small goods
- διαδότης (diadótis)fake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
- διαδότρια (diadótria)fake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
Hungarian házaló, ügynök
- házalóitinerant seller of small goods
- ügynökitinerant seller of small goods
- vigécitinerant seller of small goods
Indonesian pedagang asongan
- pedagang asonganitinerant seller of small goods
Irish peidléir, hácaeir
- peidléiritinerant seller of small goods
- hácaeiritinerant seller of small goods
- joltaeiritinerant seller of small goods
- mangaireitinerant seller of small goods
- fear cairteitinerant seller of small goods
Italian padellaio, vucumprà
- padellaioitinerant seller of small goods
- vucumpràitinerant seller of small goods
Japanese 鬻人, 鬻人
- 鬻人 (hisakihito)itinerant seller of small goods
- 鬻人 (hisagibito)itinerant seller of small goods
- 鬻女 (hisakime)itinerant seller of small goods
- 鬻女 (hisagime)itinerant seller of small goods
Latin circulātor, circulātrix
- circulātoritinerant seller of small goods
- circulātrixitinerant seller of small goods
Malay penjaja
- penjajaitinerant seller of small goods
Polish domokrążca
- domokrążcaitinerant seller of small goods
Portuguese camelô, ambulante
- camelôitinerant seller of small goods
- ambulanteitinerant seller of small goods
- vendedor ambulanteitinerant seller of small goods
- mascateitinerant seller of small goods
- vendilhãoitinerant seller of small goods
- prestamistaitinerant seller of small goods
Romanian negustor ambulant, telal
- negustor ambulantitinerant seller of small goods
- telalitinerant seller of small goods
- marchitanitinerant seller of small goods
- tolbașitinerant seller of small goods
- coropcaritinerant seller of small goods
Russian коробе́йник, разно́счик
- коробе́йник (korobéjnik)itinerant seller of small goods
- разно́счик (raznósčik)itinerant seller of small goods
- офе́ня (ofénja)itinerant seller of small goods
- лото́чник (lotóčnik)itinerant seller of small goods
Scottish Gaelic ceannaiche-siubhail
- ceannaiche-siubhailitinerant seller of small goods
Spanish buhonero, vendedor ambulante
- buhoneroitinerant seller of small goods
- vendedor ambulanteitinerant seller of small goods
- manteroitinerant seller of small goods
- topmanteroitinerant seller of small goods
- pregoneroitinerant seller of small goods
Swedish krämare, nasare
- krämareitinerant seller of small goods
- nasareitinerant seller of small goods
- hälareitinerant seller of small goods
- säljareitinerant seller of small goods
- månglareitinerant seller of small goods
- handlandeitinerant seller of small goods
- handelsresandeitinerant seller of small goods
- knalleitinerant seller of small goods
- hökareitinerant seller of small goods
- Krösa-Majafake-news disseminator; conspiracy-theory propagator
Turkish çerçi, işportacı
- çerçiitinerant seller of small goods
- işportacıitinerant seller of small goods
Ukrainian коробе́йник, офе́ня
- коробе́йник (korobéjnyk)itinerant seller of small goods
- офе́ня (ofénja)itinerant seller of small goods
- розно́шувач (roznóšuvač)itinerant seller of small goods
Welsh pedler, pacmon
- pedleritinerant seller of small goods
- pacmonitinerant seller of small goods
Yiddish פּעדלער
- פּעדלער (pedler)itinerant seller of small goods
Cite this entry
APA
peddler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peddler
MLA
“peddler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peddler. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “peddler,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/peddler.
Source: peddler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.