bookseller
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
Bookseller is useful when you want to focus on the person or company that sells the books, not only the place. Bookstore and bookshop usually make learners think first of the shop itself, though they can also refer to the business. Bookshop is especially common in British English, while bookstore is the everyday choice in American English. Book dealer is narrower and often suggests someone who handles rare, old, or valuable books rather than ordinary school or holiday reading. If Hana chats with the woman behind the counter, bookseller fits well. If she says where she bought the book, bookstore or bookshop is often more natural.
Common collocations
Nouns
- online bookseller
- independent bookseller
- rare-book bookseller
- bookseller's catalogue
Phrases
- buy a book from a bookseller
- work as a bookseller
- ask the bookseller
- order through a bookseller
Prepositions
- from a bookseller
- through a bookseller
- by a bookseller
Etymology
Bookseller was built in English from book and seller. The first part comes from Old English, and seller is formed from the verb sell plus the ending -er for a person or thing that does an action. The whole word simply names someone or a business that sells books.