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monger

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Monger

English

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WOTD – 13 August 2025

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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The noun is derived from Middle English mongere, mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”),[1] from Old English mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”),[2] from Proto-West Germanic *mangārī (“dealer, merchant, monger”), from Latin mangō (“dealer, trader”) + Proto-West Germanic *-ārī (suffix forming agent nouns, especially denoting occupations).[3][4] The further etymology of mangō is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested:

The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from mongering (adjective or noun).[5][6]

Noun

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monger (plural mongers)

  1. Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.
    1. A dealer or trader in a specific commodity.
      • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXXIII.] Of Sil, Cæruleum, Nestorianum, and Cælum. Also, that All These Kinds Keepe Not the Same Price Everie Yeere..”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 485:
        [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: […]
      • a. 1797 (date written), [anonymous], “[The Loyal Natives’ Verses]”, in Robert Burns, The Poetical Works of Robert Burns […], Edinburgh; London: W. P. Nimmo, Hay, & Mitchell […], published [1904], →OCLC, page 294:
        With Cracken the attorney, and Mundell the quack, / Send Willie the monger to hell with a smack.
        Lines from a verse by an unknown author handed to Burns, who wrote a reply published in the same work.
      • 2005 November, “The Food Lovers Guide to Los Angeles: 46 Great Ways to Please Your Palate”, in Kit Rachlis, editor, Los Angeles, volume 50, number 11, Los Angeles, Calif.: Emmis Publishing, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 111, column 2:
        For the freshest wild catch, ask your monger when the fish are running.
        Referring to a fishmonger.
    2. (figurative) A person promoting something, especially an undesirable thing.
      • c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 197, column 2:
        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.
      • c. 1638 May 13 (date licensed; Gregorian calendar), Iohn Ford [i.e., John Ford], The Ladies Triall. […], London: […] E. G. for Henry Shephard, […], published 1639, →OCLC, Act I, signature B, recto:
        Fvt[elli]. I am not foot-poaſt, / No pedlar of Aviſo's, no monopoliſt / Of forged Corantos, monger of Gazets. / Pie[ro]. Monger of courtezans, fine Futelli, / In certaine kinde a merchant of the ſtaple / For vvares of uſe and trade, a taker up.
      • 1677 (indicated as 1678), [Samuel Butler], “Canto II”, in Hudibras. The Third and Last Part. […], London: […] Simon Miller, […], →OCLC, page 151:
        [T]he impatient Stateſ-Monger / Could novv contain himſelf no longer, / VVho had not ſpar'd to ſhevv his Piques, / Againſt th' Haranguers Politicks?
      • 1761 March, C[harles] Churchill, The Rosciad. […], 2nd edition, London: […] W[illiam] Flexney, […], published 1761, →OCLC, page 23, lines 509–512:
        The nice punctilio-mongers of this age, / The grand minute reformers of the ſtage, / Slaves to propriety of ev'ry kind, / Some ſtandard-meaſure for each part ſhould find; […]
      • 1829, Robert Southey, “Colloquy V. Decay of the Feudal System.—Edward VI.—Alfred.”, in Sir Thomas More: or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society. […], volume I, London: John Murray, […], →OCLC, page 109:
        Yet I hold as little with the humanity-mongers, who deny the necessity and lawfulness of inflicting capital punishment in any case, as with the shallow moralists, who exclaim against vindictive justice, when punishment would cease to be just, if it were not vindictive.
      • 1889, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Tragedy of the Manor-house”, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, New York, N.Y.: Charles L. Webster & Company, →OCLC, page 382:
        As a rule, a knight is a lummux, and sometimes even a labrick, and hence open to pretty poor arguments when they come glibly from a superstition-monger, but even he could see the practical side of a thing once in a while; […]
      • 1933 July 16 (date written), [George] Bernard Shaw, “An Explanation”, in The Political Madhouse in America and Nearer Home: A Lecture, London: Constable & Co, published August 1933, →OCLC, pages 8–9:
        For the greatest lunacy of all is that not one of them can see the smallest reason why any human being should be allowed to live unless in addition to supporting himself he can produce a privately appropriable profit for a shareholder or a rent for a landlord. Why, they argue, should anyone organize the work of propertyless men merely to produce their own food? […] At such a point youths of spirit become car bandits and racketeers and kidnappers. What else do our crazy conference-mongers expect?
  2. (obsolete) Clipping of whoremonger (“a frequent customer of whores”).
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:prostitute's client
Hyponyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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monger (third-person singular simple present mongers, present participle mongering, simple past and past participle mongered) (transitive)

  1. To deal in, peddle, or sell (something).
    Synonym: mong
    • 1992 May 11, “(please specify the article title)”, in The New Yorker, volume 68, New York, N.Y.: Condé Nast Publications, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 41, column 1:
      There were Mongols hawking sheepskins and Chinese vending calendars and pocket calculators, North Koreans flogging jewelry and Vietnamese mongering shirts and leather jackets.
  2. (figurative) To promote (something, especially an undesirable thing); to peddle.
    Synonym: mong
Derived terms
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Translations
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Etymology 2

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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”).[7]

Noun

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monger (plural mongers)

  1. (nautical, obsolete) A small seagoing vessel used for fishing.
    • 1561, Richard Eden, “To the Ryght Worshypfull Syr Wyllyam Garrerd Knyght, and Master Thomas Lodge, Aldermen of the Citie of London, and Gouernours of the Honorable Felowshyp or Societie, aswell of Certaine of the Nobilitie, as of Marchauntes Aduenturers, for the Discouery of Landes, Territories, Ilandes, and Seignories Vnknowen, and Not before Their First Aduenture or Enterprise by Seas or Nauigations Commonly Frequented: And to the Right Worshypfull the Consulles, Assistentes, and Comminaltie of the Same Societie, Richarde Eden Wyssheth Health and Prosperitie”, in Martin Cortes [i.e., Martín Cortés de Albacar], translated by Richard Eden, The Arte of Nauigation: Conteynyng a Compendious Description of the Sphere, with the Makyng of Certen Instrumentes and Rules for Nauigations: and Exemplified by Manye Demonstrations. […], London: […] Richard Jugge, […], →OCLC, signature [¶.iv.], verso:
      [C]erteyne Fyſhermen that go a trawlyng for fyſhe in Catches or mongers, and dradgies for Oyſters about the ſandes, […]
    • [[1790], Robert Wilson, The Seaman’s Manual, Containing All the Technical Words and Phrases Used at Sea and Belonging to a Ship; […], London: […] [F]or the trusters, at the Literary-Press, […], →OCLC:
      monger: a small sea-vessel used by fishermen.]

References

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  1. ^ “mōnger(e, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “mangere”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 667, column 2.
  3. ^ “monger, n.1”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2025.
  4. ^ “monger, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  5. ^ “monger, v.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, July 2023.
  6. ^ “monger, v.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  7. ^ “monger, n.2”, in OED Online Paid subscription required⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2025.

Further reading

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Anagrams

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