vendor
UK: ˈvɛndɔː | US: ˈvɛndər
n. a person or company that sells goods or services
n. (law) a seller, especially in a legal contract
n. (computing) a provider of software or hardware products
vendor = vend<sell> + or<agent noun suffix>
- vend (from Latin vendere, meaning "to sell")
- or (a suffix denoting a person who performs an action, from Latin -or)
Etymology Origin:
The word "vendor" traces back to Latin vendere ("to sell"), which combines venum ("something for sale") and dare ("to give"). The suffix -or was added to form vendor, meaning "one who sells." This reflects the straightforward transformation from the verb "to sell" to the noun "seller" in English, retaining the Latin root's commercial connotation. Over time, "vendor" expanded to include legal and technical contexts, such as software providers.
The street vendor sold fresh fruit at the market.
The contract specifies the responsibilities of the vendor and the buyer.
Tech vendors showcased their latest products at the conference.
Local vendors rely on festival crowds for their income.
The software vendor released a critical update last week.