corn-merchant

The corn-merchant weighs a sack of grain in his shop.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A trader in grain: A "corn-merchant" is a person whose business involves buying and selling corn (grain, such as wheat or barley), often as a wholesale or retail dealer.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The corn-merchant supplied the local bakeries with wheat. (A grain trader provided wheat for bread-making.)
  • During the harvest season, the corn-merchant traveled to rural markets to purchase grain. (The trader bought corn directly from farmers.)

Advanced Usage

• "corn-merchant's stock": the inventory of grain held by such a trader.

  • The corn-merchant's stock was depleted after the drought. (The trader's grain supply ran out due to poor harvests.)

• "to deal as a corn-merchant": to engage in the trade of grain.

  • He has been dealing as a corn-merchant for over twenty years. (He has worked as a grain trader for two decades.)

Variants and Related Words

• Corn-dealer (n): a synonym for corn-merchant, referring to someone who buys and sells grain.
  • The corn-dealer negotiated prices with the millers. (The grain trader arranged sales with flour producers.)
• Corn trade (n): the business of buying and selling grain.
  • The corn trade was vital to the local economy. (The grain business was essential for the region.)

Synonyms

• Grain merchant: a trader specializing in various types of grain.
• Corn chandler: an older term for a seller of corn, especially in historical contexts.

Related Idioms

• "No corn, no crown": a proverb meaning that without basic resources (like grain), success or authority cannot be achieved.
  • The farmer knew that "no corn, no crown" applied to his harvest. (Without grain, he could not prosper.)

Phrasal Verbs

• Corn in (rare): to store or bring grain into a market.
  • The merchant corned in the barley before the price fell. (He brought the grain to market early.)