Dishmonger

/ˈdɪʃmʌŋɡər/ noun

Definition

A person who sells or trades in dishes; a merchant of tableware and dishware.

Etymology

Compound of 'dish' and 'monger' (from Old English 'mangere', from Latin 'mango', meaning 'dealer'). The '-monger' suffix created occupational terms for those who sold goods, similar to 'fishmonger' or 'ironmonger'.

Kelly Says

The word 'monger' originally meant someone who haggled in markets—notice how 'fishmonger' sounds respectable but 'fear-monger' or 'scandal-monger' sound negative. The same suffix shows that selling could be either honest or manipulative.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.