Mer·chant, a. Of, pertaining to, or employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant service.
  Merchant bar, Merchant iron or Merchant steel, certain common sizes of wrought iron and steel bars.
  Merchant service or Merchant marine, the mercantile marine of a country. --Am. Cyc.
  Merchant ship, a ship employed in commerce.
  Merchant tailor, a tailor who keeps and sells materials for the garments which he makes.
  merchant ship
       n : a cargo ship; "they did much of their overseas trade in
           foreign bottoms" [syn: bottom, freighter, merchantman]