Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An army camp follower who peddled provisions to the soldiers.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A person who follows an army for the purpose of selling provisions, liquors, etc., to the troops.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A person who follows an army, and sells to the troops provisions, liquors, and the like.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A person who follows an army, selling provisions.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a supplier of victuals or supplies to an army

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Obsolete Dutch soeteler, from Low German sudeler, suteler, from German sudeln, to dirty, from Middle High German sudelen.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Dutch soeteler (modern zoetelaar).

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Examples

  • She is the first who has redeemed the name of sutler from the suspicion of worthlessness, mercenary baseness and plunder, and I trust that England will not forget the one who nursed her sick and who sought out her wounded to aid and succor them and who performed the last office for some of her illustrious dead.

    World’s Great Men of Color J. A. Rogers 1947

  • She is the first who has redeemed the name of sutler from the suspicion of worthlessness, mercenary baseness and plunder, and I trust that England will not forget the one who nursed her sick and who sought out her wounded to aid and succor them and who performed the last office for some of her illustrious dead.

    World’s Great Men of Color J. A. Rogers 1947

  • She is the first who has redeemed the name of sutler from the suspicion of worthlessness, mercenary baseness and plunder, and I trust that England will not forget the one who nursed her sick and who sought out her wounded to aid and succor them and who performed the last office for some of her illustrious dead.

    World’s Great Men of Color J. A. Rogers 1947

  • Though the sutler was a young and attractive man, neither his golden looks nor his overly gallant manner moved me.

    The Haunting Tarr, Hope 2007

  • The sutler was the authorized merchant of the post, and in order that his monopoly might not lead him to demand unreasonable sums for his wares, the prices were fixed by a "council of administration" composed of three officers.

    Old Fort Snelling 1819-1858 Marcus L. Hansen

  • Then I began to enquire into it, and found out that a sutler was a sort of liquid peanut stand, and that his rank in the army was about the same as a chestnut roaster on the sidewalk here at home.

    Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa 1883 Gean Smith 1878

  • She is the first who has redeemed the name of "sutler" from the suspicion of worthlessness, mercenary baseness, and plunder; and I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead.

    Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands Mary Seacole

  • She is the first who has redeemed the name of "sutler" from the suspicion of worthlessness, mercenary baseness, and plunder; and I trust that England will not forget one who nursed her sick, who sought out her wounded to aid and succour them, and who performed the last offices for some of her illustrious dead.

    Wonderful Adventures of Mrs. Seacole in Many Lands 1857

  • On the 18th he struck out at surplus women hanging around the army, a particular gripe with him; on the 21st he fixed the liquor ration per the standing regulations, threatening to confine any sutler who sold extra spirits.

    George Washington’s First War David A. Clary 2011

  • On the 18th he struck out at surplus women hanging around the army, a particular gripe with him; on the 21st he fixed the liquor ration per the standing regulations, threatening to confine any sutler who sold extra spirits.

    George Washington’s First War David A. Clary 2011

Comments

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  • Synonyms victualer

    March 22, 2015

  • "The Arthurian tales have more recently brought other camp-followers to Tintagel, the sutlers of crystals and wind-chimes, the tarot-readers and soul-curers."

    Rising Ground by Philip Marsden, p 88 of the University of Chicago Press hardcover

    September 26, 2016