What does "monger" mean?
Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.; A dealer or trader in a specific commodity.
Monger
/ˈmʌŋɡə/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.; A dealer or trader in a specific commodity.
- Grammar: monger is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: dealer, trader, advocate, arab.
- Useful contrasts: buy, buyer, critic.
- Usage evidence: On the pavement below, a foot passer might squeeze by a costard monger’s cart, but two carts abreast could not pass.
How to use "monger"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "monger" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "monger" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "monger" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "monger" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "monger" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "dealer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "monger", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.; A dealer or trader in a specific commodity.
"[S]ometime one rich munger or other, buying up a commoditie, and bringing it vvholly into his ovvne hands for to have the monopolie of it, raiſeth the market, and enhaunceth the price: […]"
- 2 A small seagoing vessel used for fishing. obsolete, transitive
"[C]erteyne Fyſhermen that go a trawlyng for fyſhe in Catches or mongers, and dradgies for Oyſters about the ſandes, […]"
- 3 someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold wordnet
- 4 Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.; A person promoting something, especially an undesirable thing. figuratively
"There is a man haunts the Forreſt, that abuſes our yong plants vvith caruing Roſalinde on their barkes; hangs Oades vpon Hauthornes, and Elegies on brambles; all (forſooth) defying the name of Roſalinde. If I could meet that Fancie-monger, I vvould giue him ſome good counſel, for he ſeemes to have the Quotidian of Loue vpon him."
- 5 Clipping of whoremonger (“a frequent customer of whores”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, obsolete
"Here vvas no ſubtle device to get a VVench. / This Chanon [i.e., canon, member of the clergy] has a brave pate of his ovvn! / A ſhaven pate! and a right monger, y' vaith!"
Verb
- 1 To deal in, peddle, or sell (something). transitive
"There were Mongols hawking sheepskins and Chinese vending calendars and pocket calculators, North Koreans flogging jewelry and Vietnamese mongering shirts and leather jackets."
- 2 sell or offer for sale from place to place wordnet
- 3 To promote (something, especially an undesirable thing); to peddle. figuratively, transitive
"She [Grace Kelly] was beautiful and elegant but, above all, good. […] Not even Hedda Hopper could monger scandal in her regard."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"On the pavement below, a foot passer might squeeze by a costard monger’s cart, but two carts abreast could not pass."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "monger"?
Common synonyms include: dealer, trader, advocate, arab, bargainer, chandler.
How do you use "monger" in a sentence?
On the pavement below, a foot passer might squeeze by a costard monger’s cart, but two carts abreast could not pass.
How do you pronounce "monger"?
Pronounced /ˈmʌŋɡə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
The noun is derived from Middle English mongere, mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Old English mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Proto-West Germanic *mangārī (“dealer, merchant, monger”), from Latin mangō (“dealer, trader”) + Proto-West Germanic *-ārī (suffix forming agent nouns, especially denoting occupations). The further etymology of mangō is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested: * From Ancient Greek μαγγανεύω (manganeúō, “to use charms or philtres; to cheat, play tricks; to dress food artificially to make it appear better”), from μάγγᾰνον (mángănon, “means of bewitching, charm, philtre”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *meng- (“to dress, embellish, trim”); or from Arabic ن ج ل (n j l, root relating to pouring out or thrusting)) + -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming denominative verbs of activity or condition). * From Latin *manicō, *manigō (“deal, trade; to handle, manage (?)”), from manus (“hand”); further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”), or *mon-u-. The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from mongering (adjective or noun).
Etymology 2
Origin uncertain, possibly from monger (“dealer or trader in a specific commodity”) (etymology 1); or related to Middle English mangbot (“type of fishing boat used on the Thames”).