linen-draper
Definition
- Noun:
- A person who sells linen goods: "linen-draper" refers to a retailer or merchant who specializes in selling linen fabrics, such as tablecloths, napkins, sheets, and other household textiles made from linen.
- Historical trade term: Historically, a "linen-draper" was a specific type of draper (cloth seller) who focused exclusively on linen, as opposed to wool or silk.
Usage Examples
- (The merchant showed high-quality linen fabrics for sale.)
- (The profession was considered reputable in historical times.)
Advanced Usage
"To deal as a linen-draper": to conduct business as a seller of linen goods.
- He apprenticed with a linen-draper in London before opening his own shop. (He learned the trade from an established merchant.)
"Linen-draper's shop": a retail establishment specializing in linen.
- She bought new tablecloths from the linen-draper's shop on High Street. (She purchased household linens from a specialized store.)
Variants and Related Words
Linendrapery (n): the business or goods sold by a linen-draper.
- The linendrapery included fine sheets and embroidered napkins. (The merchandise consisted of linen household items.)
Draper (n): a general term for a cloth merchant, a broader category that includes linen-drapers.
- The draper sold wool, silk, and linen, but the linen-draper only sold linen. (The general merchant had a wider selection.)
Synonyms
- Linen merchant: a seller of linen goods.
- Clothier (specialized): a maker or seller of clothing, though less specific than linen-draper.
- Haberdasher: a seller of small sewing goods and notions, sometimes overlapping with linen-draper in historical contexts.
Related Idioms
- "To be a linen-draper's son": an idiomatic expression (historical) implying a middle-class or upwardly mobile background, as linen-drapers were often prosperous tradespeople.
- He was a linen-draper's son, yet he pursued a career in law. (He came from a comfortable merchant family.)