SALESMAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does salesman mean? 

• SALESMAN (noun)
  The noun SALESMAN has 1 sense:

1. a man salesperson

  Familiarity information: SALESMAN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SALESMAN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A man salesperson

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("salesman" is a kind of...):

sales rep; sales representative; salesperson (a person employed to represent a business and to sell its merchandise (as to customers in a store or to customers who are visited))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "salesman"):

book agent (a book salesman)

pitchman (an aggressive salesman who uses a fast line of talk to sell something)

bagman; commercial traveler; commercial traveller; roadman; traveling salesman; travelling salesman (a salesman who travels to call on customers)

Derivation:

salesmanship (skill in selling; skill in persuading people to buy)

 Context examples 

Well, I got the two dozen from a salesman in Covent Garden.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“You will excuse me,” said Holmes blandly, “but I could not help overhearing the questions which you put to the salesman just now. I think that I could be of assistance to you.”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The salesman nodded and shot a questioning glance at my companion.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

To my surprise the question provoked a burst of anger from the salesman.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Well, then, you’ve lost your fiver, for it’s town bred,” snapped the salesman.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You are endeavouring to trace some geese which were sold by Mrs. Oakshott, of Brixton Road, to a salesman named Breckinridge, by him in turn to Mr. Windigate, of the Alpha, and by him to his club, of which Mr. Henry Baker is a member.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The salesman chuckled grimly.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“Now then, Mr. Cocksure,” said the salesman, “I thought that I was out of geese, but before I finish you’ll find that there is still one left in my shop. You see this little book?”

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Turning round we saw a little rat-faced fellow standing in the centre of the circle of yellow light which was thrown by the swinging lamp, while Breckinridge, the salesman, framed in the door of his stall, was shaking his fists fiercely at the cringing figure.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I knew the other clerks and young bond-salesmen by their first names and lunched with them in dark crowded restaurants on little pig sausages and mashed potatoes and coffee.

(The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald)