nepman

noun

nep·​man

ˈnepmən,

-ˌman

plural nepmen

: one of a group of small private traders and merchants appearing briefly in Russia during the third decade of the 20th century as a result of a temporary relaxation by the Communist government of its ban on private enterprise

Word History

Etymology

Russian, from nep New Economic Policy (from Novaya Ekonomicheskaya Politika New Economic Policy) + -man (probably from German mann man, from Old High German man)

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