grocer

noun

gro·​cer ˈgrō-sər How to pronounce grocer (audio) -shər How to pronounce grocer (audio)
: a dealer in staple foodstuffs, meats, produce, and dairy products and usually household supplies

Examples of grocer in a Sentence

Ask your local grocer if he sells organic fruits and vegetables.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For those grocers running a produce department, that date's already been circled in red, because sweet potato casserole shows up on most American tables in late November. — Phil Lempert, Forbes.com, 23 Aug. 2026 At the end of June 2026, the grocer immediately stopped selling any frozen GreenWise berries, but the fruit may still be in customers’ freezers. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026 According to Corinne Verdery, chief executive of Caruso’s operations, water damage and spoiled foods in the wake of the Palisades fire resulted in extensive cleaning and renovations, which pushed the grocer’s reopening into next year. — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026 In May 2025, Consumer Reports investigated Kroger, finding that the grocer had collected large amounts of data for building profiles of individual shoppers, including information about their income, family size, education level, gender and more. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grocer

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocer, grosser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc.," borrowed from Anglo-French groser, grosser, grossour (Middle French grossier), from gros "the greater part, the bulk," en gros "wholesale, in bulk" (derivative of gros, adjective, "large, great, coarse") + -er, -our -er entry 2 — more at gross entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grocer was in the 15th century

Rhymes for grocer

See All Rhymes for grocer

Browse Nearby Words

grobianism
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Cite this Entry

“Grocer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grocer. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

grocer

noun
gro·​cer ˈgrō-sər How to pronounce grocer (audio)
: a dealer in food and household supplies
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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