old-clothesman

An old-clothesman pushes his cart through the market street.

Definition

Noun:
- A person who buys and sells second-hand clothing, typically as a street vendor or in a market.

Usage Examples

• (A vendor seeking to purchase worn apparel.)
• (A dealer in pre-owned clothing.)

Advanced Usage

• "to haggle with an old-clothesman": to negotiate the price of used clothing with such a vendor.
  • In the flea market, she haggled with the old-clothesman over the price of a vintage coat. (She bargained for a better deal on second-hand apparel.)

Variants and Related Words

• Old-clothes (n, as a compound modifier): referring to the trade or items of second-hand clothing.
  • The old-clothes trade was once common in urban markets. (The business of selling used garments.)

Synonyms

• Second-hand clothes dealer: a merchant who trades in previously owned garments.
• Ragman: a person who collects and sells old clothes and other discarded items.

Related Idioms

• "To look like an old-clothesman's shop": to appear disheveled or wearing mismatched, worn-out clothing.
  • After the long journey, his outfit looked like an old-clothesman's shop. (His clothing was messy and shabby.)

Note: This word is largely archaic and rarely used in modern English, but it appears in historical and literary contexts.