regrater

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   historical British law: a trader who bought food or other necessities at a market and resold them in or near the same market for a profit

   The old statute punished a regrater who bought grain in the market only to resell it there at a higher price.

2. 2
   noun

   dialectal: a middleman who travelled through the countryside buying farm produce for market

   A travelling regrater collected eggs and butter from several remote farms.

From Middle English regrater or regratere, borrowed from French regratier, a petty dealer or reseller. It belongs with regrate, the former offense of buying necessities at a market and reselling them nearby for profit.

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