US /ˈʃɑpmən/ UK /ˈʃɒpmən/
noun Freq #1408024

Meanings

  1. 1
    noun

    a man who owns, manages, or operates a shop; now chiefly historical

    The shopman locked the shutters and counted the day's receipts.

  2. 2
    noun

    a male shop assistant or worker; dated

    A shopman stepped forward to show the customer a bolt of cloth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms
1 noun · a man who owns, manages, or... shopkeeperstorekeeperretailer
2 noun · a male shop assistant or... salesmanshop assistantclerk
Word family
Forms shopmen

Etymology

Formed from shop + man. It has historically named both a man who owns or manages a shop and a male employee serving customers there. Both uses are now dated, having largely yielded to shopkeeper, retailer, sales assistant, or clerk.

Topics

markdown

Send feedback

Optional — only if you'd like a reply.