1
- a person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade商人; （尤指外贸）批发商; 供应商：
a builders' merchant
建材供应商
a tea merchant.
茶叶批发商。
1.1
- chiefly N. Amer. a retail trader; a shopkeeper〈主北美〉零售商; 零售店店主：
the credit cards are accepted by 10 million merchants worldwide.
全世界有1,000万个零售商接受这些信用卡。
1.2
- a person who deals in something unpleasant（引起反感的东西的）经营者, 贩卖者; 贩子：
a merchant of death.
死亡贩子。
1.3
- (especially in historical contexts) a person involved in trade or commerce（尤指历史用语）经商者：
prosperous merchants and clothiers had established a middle class.
富裕的经销商和服装商形成了中间阶层。
2
- usu. with modifier informal, chiefly derogatory a person with a partiality or aptitude for a particular activity or viewpoint〈非正式, 主贬〉热衷者：
his driver was no speed merchant.
他的司机绝不热衷于超速驾驶。
attrib.
1- of or relating to merchants, trade, or commerce商人的; 贸易的, 商业的：
the growth of the merchant classes.
商人阶层的发展。
1.1
- (of ships, sailors, or shipping activity) involved with commerce rather than military activity（船, 水手, 航运）从事商业的：
a merchant seaman.
商船船员。
词源
Middle English: from Old French marchant, based on Latin mercari 'to trade'， from merx, merc- 'merchandise'.