Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person or business that buys and sells goods: A dealer is someone who purchases items and sells them to others, often as their primary occupation.
   • The person who distributes cards in a game: In card games, the dealer is the player who shuffles and gives out the cards to the other players.
   • A trader in securities: In finance, a dealer is a person or firm that buys and sells stocks, bonds, or other financial instruments for their own account, not as an agent for a client.
   • A seller of illegal goods: Informally, a dealer can refer to someone who sells illegal items, such as drugs or stolen property.

Usage and Examples

• As a merchant or trader:
  • He is a reputable dealer in antique furniture.
  • The car dealer offered a good price for my old vehicle.
• In card games:
  • Whose turn is it to be the dealer in this round of poker?
  • The dealer shuffled the deck expertly.
• In finance:
  • The bond dealer on the exchange executed a large trade.
• As a seller of illicit goods (informal):
  • The police arrested the drug dealer.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• "Wheeler-dealer": Refers to a person who is skillful, shrewd, and perhaps unscrupulous in business or political negotiations.
  • He gained a reputation as a wheeler-dealer in the real estate market.
• The term implies a direct involvement in transactions, often holding inventory, which distinguishes a dealer from a broker (who acts as an intermediary).

Variants and Related Words

• Dealership (n): A business authorized to sell specific goods, especially cars.
  • She works at a Ford dealership.
• Deal (v/n): The root verb meaning to distribute or do business, and the noun for a business transaction or agreement.
  • They made a deal to supply the materials.

Synonyms

• Merchant: A person or company involved in wholesale trade.
• Trader: Someone who buys and sells goods or financial instruments.
• Vendor: A person or company offering something for sale.
• Distributor: A person or company that supplies goods to stores.

Related Phrases

• Floor dealer: A trader who operates on the floor of a financial exchange.
• Primary dealer: A bank or firm authorized to trade securities directly with a government, like the U.S. Federal Reserve.

Idioms

• "Talk to the dealer": A phrase suggesting one should negotiate or discuss terms directly with the seller or person in charge.
  • If you want a better price, you'll have to talk to the dealer.

Noun

1. the person who distributes the playing cards in a card game
2. the major party to a financial transaction at a stock exchange; buys and sells for his own account
3. a seller of illicit goods
   • a dealer in stolen goods
4. a firm engaged in trading
5. someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold