mercery

A merchant displays fine silks and fabrics in his mercery.

Definition

1. Noun (countable/uncountable):
   • Silk or fine cloth: "mercery" refers to silk, fine cloth, or textile goods, especially those used for clothing or decorative purposes.
   • The trade or business of dealing in such goods: "mercery" also denotes the profession or commerce of buying and selling silk, fine fabrics, or mercery items.

Usage Examples

• Noun (the goods):
  • The shop was filled with luxurious mercery from Italy and France. (The shop was stocked with fine silk and cloth.)
  • She bought a length of mercery for her wedding dress. (She purchased a piece of fine fabric.)
• Noun (the trade):
  • He has been in the mercery business for over thirty years. (He has worked as a dealer in fine textiles.)
  • Mercery was a thriving industry in medieval London. (The trade in silk and cloth was very active.)

Advanced Usage

• "mercery" as a collective term: It can refer to all the wares sold by a mercer (a dealer in fine fabrics).

  • The market offered a wide range of mercery, including silks, velvets, and brocades. (The market sold various fine textiles.)

• Historical context: In earlier centuries, "mercery" was a distinct guild or trade, separate from drapery (which dealt in wool and coarser cloth).

  • The Worshipful Company of Mercers is one of the oldest livery companies in London. (This guild historically regulated the trade in fine cloth.)

Variants and Related Words

• Mercer (n): a person who deals in silk and fine cloth.
  • The mercer displayed his finest silks on the counter. (The cloth merchant showed his best fabrics.)
• Mercery (adj, rare): relating to the trade or goods of a mercer.
  • The mercery district was known for its vibrant textile shops. (The area was famous for fine cloth stores.)

Synonyms

• Textiles: woven fabrics, especially fine ones.
• Drapery: cloth goods, though historically "drapery" referred to wool and coarser materials, while "mercery" referred to silk and finer goods.
• Haberdashery: small sewing items and notions, sometimes overlapping with mercery in modern usage.

Related Idioms

• To deal in mercery: to be involved in the trade of fine fabrics (archaic or formal).
  • The family has dealt in mercery for generations. (The family has traded in fine cloth for many years.)

Notes

• "Mercery" is now an archaic or specialized term. In modern English, it is rarely used outside historical contexts or discussions of textile trades. The word "mercer" is more commonly encountered, especially in British English, referring to a dealer in silk and fine fabrics.