dealer
gb/dˈilɚ/ us/dˈilɚ/
A2
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A2
entity
1
Person who sells goods
A person or company that sells things to customers.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a dealer in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dealer' with 'retailer'; while all dealers sell, 'dealer' often implies a specialty or direct trade role.
Synonyms
seller (A general term for someone who sells something, less formal in business contexts.)
Antonyms
buyer (Someone who purchases goods or services, opposite role to a dealer.)
Collocations
car dealer
|art dealer
|antiques dealer
|ticket dealer
|licensed dealer
Themes
business
|commerce
|daily life
|work
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The art dealer showed us several valuable paintings.
- She works as a car dealer in the city.
- We bought the tickets from an authorized dealer.
- The antiques dealer offered a fair price for the table.
- He became a dealer in rare books.
Learner examples
- The car dealer sold me a new car.
- My uncle is a fruit dealer.
- We met a ticket dealer outside the stadium.
- The shop owner is also a toy dealer.
- I spoke to the art dealer about the painting.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Person who deals cards
The person who gives out the cards in a card game.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is the dealer
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'dealer' with 'player'; in many games, the dealer is also a player, but the term refers to their role in giving out cards.
Synonyms
croupier (Specific to casino games, especially table games like roulette and blackjack.)
Collocations
poker dealer
|casino dealer
|change dealer
|shuffle and deal
Themes
games
|entertainment
|arts_entertainment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The dealer shuffled the deck before starting the game.
- In poker, the dealer position changes each hand.
- The casino dealer handed me two cards.
- She was chosen to be the dealer for the first round.
Learner examples
- The dealer gave each player two cards.
- In this game, I am the dealer.
- The dealer shuffles the cards before we play.
- The casino dealer works at the blackjack table.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Person selling illegal drugs
Someone who sells drugs that are against the law.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'dealer' alone can sometimes imply an illegal drug seller if context is about crime or police work.
Synonyms
pusher (Informal term specifically for someone selling illegal drugs.)
Collocations
drug dealer
|street dealer
|heroin dealer
|arrest a dealer
Themes
crime
|law
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- The police arrested a known drug dealer in the neighborhood.
- He was caught buying from a street dealer.
- Drug dealers often operate in hidden locations.
- The movie shows the life of a young drug dealer.
Learner examples
- The police caught a drug dealer.
- He is a street dealer in the city.
- The drug dealer sold illegal pills.
- They want to stop all drug dealers.
Grammar
Dictionary form
dealer
IPA
GB/dˈilɚ/
US/dˈilɚ/
Syllables & stress
deal - er (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (deal)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: dealer
- Plural: dealers
Word family
Forms
dealers
noun
Core family
deal
verb B1
Related words
dealership
noun
Advanced or less common
dealmaker
noun
Expressions
arms dealer
1/ˈɑɹmz dˈilɚ/
fixed phrase
Seller of weapons and arms
Someone who sells guns and other weapons.
Examples
- The government is investigating an international arms dealer.
- Arms dealers operate both legally and illegally.
art dealer
1/ˈɑɹt dˈilɚ/
fixed phrase
Person selling artworks
A person or company that buys and sells paintings and other art.
Examples
- The art dealer showed us several modern paintings.
- Art dealers often attend international auctions.
car dealer
1/kˈɑɹ dˈilɚ/
fixed phrase
Business selling cars
A person or company that sells cars.
Examples
- We bought our new SUV from a local car dealer.
- The car dealer offered me a discount on the price.
drug dealer
1/dɹˈʌɡ dˈilɚ/
fixed phrase
Person selling illegal drugs
Someone who sells drugs that are against the law.
Examples
- The police arrested a drug dealer near the school.
- Drug dealers often work in dangerous places.