A person who deals in secondhand or worn-out clothing; a dealer in old garments.
From French 'frippe' or 'fripe' meaning 'worn-out' or 'shabby,' plus the agent suffix '-er.' The word originally meant someone who sold cast-off or damaged clothes, later extending to include those engaged in petty trade or fraudulent dealings.
Medieval and Renaissance fripners were actually important recyclers—in times before mass manufacturing, selling secondhand clothes was a legitimate way to keep garments in circulation, but the word developed negative connotations because secondhand dealers were sometimes seen as selling damaged goods dishonestly.
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