A grocer or merchant who sells provisions, spices, or food items; particularly used in French contexts for a grocery or spice merchant.
From French épicier, derived from épice (spice), which comes from Latin speciēs (merchandise, goods). The term originally referred specifically to spice merchants, who were important and expensive merchants in medieval Europe.
When spices were more valuable than gold by weight, an epicier wasn't just a grocer—he was a high-status merchant with exotic, precious goods. The spice trade literally shaped world exploration and colonialism.
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