dry-saltery
Definition
Noun: Dry-saltery refers to the trade or business of selling dried or preserved foods, such as salted meats, fish, or other non-perishable goods. It can also denote a shop or establishment where such items are sold. Additionally, it may refer to the trade of selling medicines or drugs.
Usage Examples
- (He was employed in the business of selling dried or preserved foods.)
- (The shop sold non-perishable items like canned food and seasonings.)
- (The business of selling preserved provisions was widespread.)
Advanced Usage
- "Dry-saltery goods": items typically sold in such a shop, including dried fruits, salted meats, and preserved vegetables.
- The ship's provisions were stocked with dry-saltery goods for the long voyage. (Non-perishable food items were stored for the journey.)
- "Dry-saltery trade": the commercial activity of dealing in these goods.
- The dry-saltery trade flourished before the advent of modern refrigeration. (The business of selling preserved foods was profitable.)
Variants and Related Words
- Dry-salter (noun): a person who engages in the dry-saltery trade.
- The dry-salter packed the salted herring into barrels. (The seller of preserved foods prepared the goods for sale.)
- Dry-salt (verb): to preserve food by salting and drying.
- They would dry-salt the meat to keep it from spoiling. (They preserved the meat using salt and air-drying.)
Synonyms
- Provision trade: the business of supplying food and supplies.
- Chandlery: a shop selling supplies for ships, often including preserved foods.
- Grocer’s trade: the sale of food and household goods (though less specific to dried items).
Related Idioms
- "Salt of the earth": a phrase unrelated to dry-saltery but evoking the preserving role of salt; meaning a person of great worth and reliability.
- The old dry-salter was considered the salt of the earth in his community. (He was a dependable and valuable person.)
Notes on Usage
This term is largely historical and archaic in modern English. It is rarely used today except in discussions of historical trade practices or in specialized contexts like maritime history. The dual meaning (food provisions and medicines) reflects the historical overlap between apothecaries and grocers in earlier centuries.