A peddler is someone who travels from place to place selling small goods, usually carrying their merchandise with them or using a cart. Imagine someone walking through town with a basket of fresh flowers, going door to door, or pushing a cart full of kitchen tools through a neighborhood. That's a peddler.

Before modern stores were common, peddlers played an important role in American life, especially in rural areas. They brought scissors, ribbons, pots, spices, books, and other useful items to farms and small towns that might be miles from the nearest shop. A traveling peddler might visit the same route every few months, and families would look forward to seeing what new items they carried.

The word can sometimes refer to someone who spreads ideas rather than physical goods. A person who constantly tries to convince others of conspiracy theories might be called a peddler of misinformation. In this sense, to peddle means to promote or push something persistently, often something of questionable value.

You might also see the spelling pedlar, which means the same thing. A traveling peddler's work was called peddling, and they might carry their goods in a peddler's pack slung over their shoulders.