"dealer in poultry, one whose business is the sale of poultry (also hares, game, etc.) for the table," 1630s, a redundancy, but it has largely ousted original poulter (mid-13c., pulter), from Anglo-French poleter, pulleter, Old French pouletier "poulterer," from pouletrie (see poultry). With agent suffix -er (1). Compare upholsterer.