traveling salesman

IPA/tɹˈavəlɪŋ sˈeɪlzmən/
IPA/tɹˈævəlɪŋ sˈeɪlzmən/

traveling salesman — noun

1. a person whose job is to travel from place to place for a company, visiting shop

1.nounB2
Definition

a person whose job is to travel from place to place for a company, visiting shops or customers to get orders for its goods.

Example

Before online orders, a traveling salesman drove across Iowa with cases of fabric samples.

traveling salesman + drove across [place] with samples

The traveling salesman stopped at three shops before lunch to show a new skin cream.

stop at shops to show a new product

Common collocations
  • former traveling salesman
  • traveling salesman for a company
  • sample case of a traveling salesman
Synonyms
  • sales representative

    more modern and neutral; often used in formal business settings

  • salesperson

    gender-neutral everyday term for someone who sells goods

  • peddler

    older and less formal; often suggests selling small goods directly

Grammar Patterns

a traveling salesman

work as a traveling salesman

traveling salesman for [company]

Usage Note

This phrase often suggests an older style of selling, where someone travels from town to town in person instead of handling sales online or from one office. In modern business writing, sales representative or salesperson is often more neutral.

Common Mistakes

Her uncle works as traveling salesman.
Her uncle works as a traveling salesman.
use the article 'a' before the job title.
My aunt was a traveling salesman.
My aunt was a traveling saleswoman.
'salesman' usually refers to a man; choose a gender-neutral or female term when needed.

Etymology

English

This phrase combines traveling, from the verb travel, with salesman, meaning a man whose job is to sell goods. It became common when companies sent workers from town to town with samples to collect orders in person.

First known use

1833

1833, in the meaning defined above