grocer

Everyday

1. A person who owns or runs a shop that sells food and things for the home, such as tea, sugar, tins and cleaning things. tree →
2. «The grocer's» (UK) or «the grocery store» (US) is the shop itself. tree →

In the lessons

In history and stories (old village life, The Wind in the Willows) the grocer was the corner shop owner who weighed out sugar and tea. In maths problems the grocer sells apples by the kilo and gives change. Today most people shop in supermarkets.

Examples

• Mum sent me to the grocer's for a pint of milk. tree →
• The grocer weighed out a pound of sugar. tree →
• A grocer sells apples at 40p each; how much do 5 apples cost? tree →
• Our local grocer knows everyone's name. tree →
• The grocer stacked oranges in a neat pyramid. tree →
• In the old days the grocer delivered food by bicycle. tree →
• She went back to the grocer's, and she got a second bunch. tree →

Note

Countable. «Greengrocer» (UK) sells fruit and vegetables. «Groceries» = the food you buy. The shop is «the grocer's» with an apostrophe.