Meanings
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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.
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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.
Thesaurus
Etymology
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.