Definition of "consumer" []

• One that consumes, especially one that acquires goods or services for direct use or ownership rather than for resale or use in production and manufacturing. (noun)
• A heterotrophic organism that ingests other organisms or organic matter in a food chain. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "So with that, I think the term "consumer" is appropriate."
• "The term consumer makes you into nothing more than a machine that devours goods and services."
• "Last Week's Challenge: From Ed Pegg Jr., who runs the website MathPuzzle.com: Take the phrase "consumer protection laws," and rearrange the letters to name a person in broadcasting and an issue of public debate."