Meanings
plural wet markets
- A market selling fresh meat, fish and produce.
The Trade Department is reluctant to introduce the sale of frozen fish in 'wet' markets for fear of profiteering by hawkers. There is also fear that some hawkers may thaw the fish and sell it as fresh.
1978 July 13, “Frozen fish: Fear of profiteering at 'wet' markets”, in The Straits Times, Singapore
Origin
"... derived from the markets' wet floors which are caused by the melting of ice used to ensure the freshness of seafood sold and by stall holders who routinely clean their stalls by spraying them with water. The term 'wet markets' came into common usage [in Singapore] in the early 1970s when the Singapore government used the term to distinguish these markets from air-conditioned 'supermarkets' that had become popular ...." Tan, Alvin (2013). Wet Markets. Singapore: National Heritage Board. Community Heritage Series II. P. 3.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Cantonese 街市
- 街市 (gaai¹ si⁵)market
Chinese Mandarin 菜市場 /菜市场
- 菜市場 /菜市场 (càishìcháng, càishìchǎng)market
Indonesian pasar basah
- pasar basahmarket
Cite this entry
wet market. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wet%20market
“wet market.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wet%20market. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wet market,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wet%20market.
Source: wet market on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.