trader

Everyday

1. A trader is a person who buys and sells goods to make money, such as a market trader. tree →
2. (money) A trader is a person who buys and sells shares, money or other goods on a stock market. tree →
3. (history) Traders carried goods like spices, silk and furs between faraway lands. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons, traders travel the Silk Road, and Viking traders sail to new lands. In everyday life, market traders call out prices and give change; in maths problems, traders buy at one price and sell at a higher one, and the difference is profit. Phrases: market trader, street trader, sole trader (a one-person business), fur trader.

Examples

• The market trader sold apples three for a pound. tree →
• Viking traders sailed far to sell furs. tree →
• A trader buys low and sells high to make a profit. tree →
• The fruit trader gave me an extra orange. tree →
• Traders on the Silk Road carried silk from China. tree →
• Dad is a sole trader who runs his own plumbing business. tree →
• "What is the price of this cloth?" one trader will ask another. tree →

Note

Countable. Verb trade (traded). Maths: profit = selling price − buying price; if the trader sells for less, it is a loss. Trap: trader vs traitor (a person who betrays) — they sound a little alike.

In Jewish tradition

Merchants and traders brought wealth to King Solomon from other lands.

Interpretation. Solomon's riches are read as a sign of God's blessing, though later teachers also saw a warning in his wealth.

Examples

• beside that which came of the merchants, and of the traffic of the traders, and of all the kings of the mingled people and of the governors of the country. (Prophets 1KI.10.15, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable. Verb trade (traded). Maths: profit = selling price − buying price; if the trader sells for less, it is a loss. Trap: trader vs traitor (a person who betrays) — they sound a little alike.