# monger

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmʌŋɡə/ · frequency rank #46,635

## Definitions
1. Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.
2. Chiefly preceded by a descriptive word.
3. Clipping of whoremonger (“a frequent customer of whores”).

## Etymology
The noun is derived from Middle English mongere, mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Old English mangere (“dealer, merchant, trader”), from Proto-West Germanic *mangārī (“dealer, merchant, monger”), from Latin mangō (“dealer, trader”) + Proto-West Germanic *-ārī (suffix forming agent nouns, especially denoting occupations). The further etymology of mangō is uncertain; the following possibilities have been suggested:
* From Ancient Greek μαγγανεύω (manganeúō, “to use charms or philtres; to cheat, play tricks; to dress food artificially to make it appear better”), from μάγγᾰνον (mángănon, “means of bewitching, charm, philtre”) (possibly from Proto-Indo-European *meng- (“to dress, embellish, trim”); or from Arabic ن ج ل (n j l, root relating to pouring out or thrusting)) + -εύω (-eúō, suffix forming denominative verbs of activity or condition).
* From Latin *manicō, *manigō (“deal, trade; to handle, manage (?)”), from manus (“hand”); further etymology uncertain, possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”), or *mon-u-.
The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from mongering (adjective or noun).

## Easily confused with
- **monte** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-monte)
- **mover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-mover)
- **mower** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-mower)
- **moser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-moser)
- **mother** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-mother)
- **monkey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-monkey)
- **monies** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-monies)
- **Mongol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-mongol)
- **monster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-monster)
- **moniker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-moniker)
- **monomer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-monomer)
- **mongrel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-mongrel)
- **montero** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monger-vs-montero)
- **mong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/mong-vs-monger)
- **money** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/money-vs-monger)
- **miner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/miner-vs-monger)
- **Monet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monet-vs-monger)
- **monde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/monde-vs-monger)
- **manner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/manner-vs-monger)
- **merger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/merger-vs-monger)

## Common misspellings (9)
`mmonger`, `mnoger`, `mogner`, `monegr`, `mongerr`, `mongger`, `mongre`, `monnger`, `omnger`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/monger