monger

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The Word of the Day for June 26 is: 

monger   \MUNG-gur\   noun 
     1 : broker, dealer -- usually used in combination  
   *2 : a person who attempts to stir up or spread something that is usually 
petty or discreditable -- usually used in combination
                        
Example sentence: 
     According to reports, the singer and actress were involved in a hot 
romance, but the rumormongers had it wrong -- the two were just good friends.

Did you know?
     Peddlers (especially fish merchants) have been called "mongers" for more 
than 1000 years. The term traces to a Latin noun meaning "trader." Initially, 
it was an honorable term, but every profession has its bad apples, and the 
snake-oil salesmen of the bunch gave "monger" a bad reputation. By the middle 
of the 16th century, the term implied that a merchant was dishonorable and 
contemptible. Nowadays, "monger" can be combined with just about anything to 
identify one who specializes in fast trades and loose deals, whether they be 
rumormongers, scandalmongers, hypemongers, or even miraclemongers.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.