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Added 10 October 2026

chapman

/ˈt͡ʃæpmən/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about chapman at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

United States pioneer who planted apple trees as he traveled (1774-1845).
Archaic term for an itinerant peddler.

Origin

From Middle English chapman, chepman, from Old English ċēapmann (“dealer, merchant”), from Proto-West Germanic *kaupamann, equivalent to cheap (noun) + man. Cognate with synonymous West Frisian keapman, Dutch koopman, German Low German Koopmann, German Kaufmann, Swedish köpman.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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