Chaffers

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. To engage in bargaining or negotiate the price of goods or services; to discuss terms with the intention of reaching an agreement; or to act as one who bargains for better conditions
2. To participate in haggling over costs or terms; to seek to obtain a concession through discussion; or to act as a mediator in trade negotiations
3. To negotiate prices by discussing and offering counteroffers; to bargain for favorable terms in a transaction; or to engage in informal negotiations to reach a mutual agreement

Etymology: "Chaffer" comes from Middle English "chaffare," meaning a bargain or trade. Its second half is "fare," the same root that gives us "welfare" and "wayfarer," which in the older sense meant going about one's business or trade. The first half, "cheap," is the Old English "ceap," which meant a bargain, a price, or market goods, and it is also the source of "cheap" in its modern sense. So "chaffer" is literally "cheap-dealing," a word built from two parts that each once meant trade. Over time the "cheap" element was no longer felt as a separate word, and the spelling drifted toward "chaffer," which made it look like a relative of "chaff," the husks of grain. The two words are unrelated, but the look-alike spelling helped the term keep its sense of haggling over small sums. Today "chaffer" is a verb meaning to bargain over prices, and its plural "chaffers" is the third-person singular form used with "he," "she," or "it."

Synonyms: negotiators, bargainers, dealers, traders, haggler

Antonyms: refusers, decliners, rejecters, deniers, opponents