Broker

an agent employed to make bargains and contracts between other persons, in matters gf commerce, for a compensation commonly called brokerage. A broker usually confines his attention to one particular market, as wool, sugar, or iron, and the special knowledge he thus acquires renders his services useful to the general merchant, who has no such intimate acquaintance with the trade. The broker is-strictly a middleman, or intermediate negotiator between the parties, finding buyers or sellers as required. He does not act in his own name, nor has he generally the custody of the goods in which he deals, thus differing from a factor, and he cannot sell publicly like an auctioneer. He is treated as the agent of both parties, though primarily he is deemed the agent of the party by whom he is originally employed. Besides ordinary commercial brokers, there are several other sorts, such as_ stock-brokers, share-brokers, ship-brokers, insurance brokers, bill-brokers, etc.