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on a large scale, especially with foreign countries; a trafficker; a trader. Others, like merchants, venture trade abroad. Shak.

market; such as is usually sold in market, or such as will bring the ordinary price; as, merchantable wheat; sometimes, a technical designation for a particular kind or class.

Merchantlike; suitable to the character or business of a merchant. [Obs.] Gauden.

A merchant. [Obs.] Matt. xiii. 45.

The body of merchants taken collectively; as, the merchantry of a country.

Not merchantable; not fit for market; being of a kind, quality, or quantity that is unsalable. McElrath.

gn or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor; as, the ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore. To address one's self to. (a) To prepare one's self for; to apply one's self to. (b) To direct one's speech or discourse to.

her value, before it becomes due, or in aid of an enterprise; to supply beforehand; as, a merchant advances money on a contract or on goods consigned to him.

A mercantile or speculative enterprise of hazard; a venture; a shipment by a merchant on his own account. A bill of adventure (Com.), a writing setting forth that the goods shipped are at the owner's risk.

One who adventures; as, the merchant adventurers; one who seeks his fortune in new and hazardous or perilous enterprises.

jurious; -- with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough. The merchant can afford to trade for smaller profits. Hamilton. He could afford to suffer With those whom he saw suffer. Wordsworth.

ispersion, distribution, etc.; also, a relation of reciprocal action. What news among the merchants Shak. Human sacrifices were practiced among them. Hume. Divide that gold amongst you. Marlowe. Whether they quarreled among themselves, or with their neighbors. Addison.

A suffix sometimes marking the agent for action; as, merchant, covenant, servant, pleasant, etc. Cf. -ent.

A large ship, esp. a merchant vessel of the largest size. Where your argosies with portly sail . . . Do overpeer the petty traffickers. Shak.

rty of all sorts, belonging to a person, a corporation, or an estate; as, the assets of a merchant or a trading association; -- opposed to liabilities.

To mix or adulterate, as liquors. The wine merchants of Nice brew and balderdash, and even mix it with pigeon's dung and quicklime. Smollett.

A Hindoo trader, merchant, cashier, or money changer. [Written also banyan.]

bankruptcy; unable to pay, or legally discharged from paying, one's debts; as, a bankrupt merchant.

A small two-masted merchant vessel, fitted only for coasting, or for use in canals, as in Holland. Why choose we, then, like bilanders to creep Along the coast, and land in view to keep Dryden.

y. No State shall "emit bills of credit." U. S. Const. Peters. Wharton. Bouvier (b) Among merchants, a letter sent by an agent or other person to a merchant, desiring him to give credit to the bearer for goods or money. -- Bill of divorce, in the Jewish law, a writing given by the husband to the wife, by which the mar…