Vending

/ˈvɛndɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The act of selling goods, especially from a machine or small stall; the gerund form of 'vend.'

Etymology

From Latin 'vendere' (to sell), which also gives us 'vendor' and 'vendetta.' The '-ing' suffix creates the gerund. Now especially common in 'vending machine.'

Kelly Says

The vending machine is a brilliant economic innovation that made 'vending' into an automatic process—previously, all selling required a person, but now a machine can 'vend,' showing how technology changes what our verbs can do.

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