chapman
- 01 C2 Proficiency
a person who travels around to sell things, like a peddler.
a merchant or trader, especially one who travels between locations to sell various goods.
Simple“The chapman arrived at the village gates with a pack full of ribbons and needles.”
In context“In the medieval marketplace, the chapman was a vital link for rural communities, bringing essential tools and luxury fabrics from distant cities.”
UsageThe term is now found almost exclusively in historical literature or as a surname.
Teacher's tipThis word is obsolete in modern speech; learners will only encounter it in historical novels or academic texts about the Middle Ages.
From Middle English chapman, chepman, meaning merchant or trader; equivalent to cheap (noun) + man. Doublet of Kaufman and Koopman.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.