sutler means A person who follows an army, selling provisions. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 79 out of 100.
sutler is pronounced /ˈsʌtlə/.
Why “sutler” is a great word
SUTLER — [Noun] A civilian merchant who follows an army to sell provisions, liquor, and sundries to soldiers. From early Dutch *soeteler* (modern *zoetelaar*), from *soetelen* (to do dirty or menial work), first attested in English 1580–90. Unlike a *vivandière* (which suggests a romanticized, often female figure with semi-official status) or a *quartermaster* (which denotes an official officer charged with supply), a sutler is a private, profit-driven operator, tolerated but never enlisted. He is the greasy apron at the edge of the encampment, the clink of coins for a bottle of poor whiskey, the gleam of a tin of peaches in a mud-spattered hand—a necessary parasite on the body of war, thriving in the gap between official provision and desperate human want.
Etymology
From Dutch soeteler (modern zoetelaar).
noun
- A person who follows an army, selling provisions.
- A modern business that provides period uniforms and supplies to reenactors.