What did a draper mean in medieval times?

Answer 1

The Anglo-Norman French word drap meant cloth, or a roll of cloth, or clothing, or wall-hangings of cloth - hence the modern word "drapes".

A draper was a cloth-seller.

Answer 2

The modern word draper comes from the Anglo-Norman French word drap, meaning cloth, a bolt of cloth, a bandage, garment, flag, clothes, bed-clothes or wall-hangings (in fact anything made of cloth - but not curtains, which did not exist at that time).

A draper, drapier or drapir was a man who sold cloth. They feature in many legal documents and other records from the medieval period, for example: "marchans drapiers ou achateurs de laisnes" (Treaty Rolls, 1275), meaning "merchants, cloth-sellers or buyers of wool".

Drapers might have their own shop premises in a town, often with living quarters above or behind the shop; they might also travel from market to market selling their wares, either by road on a cart or by river boat; some travelled by ship to other countries to buy foreign-made silks and other costly material.

Some drapers also sold ready-made clothing.