[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

wholesale \whole"sale`\, n.
   sale of goods by the piece or large quantity, as
   distinguished from retail.
   1913 webster

   by wholesale, in the mass; in large quantities; without
      distinction or discrimination.
      1913 webster

            some, from vanity or envy, despise a valuable book,
            and throw contempt upon it by wholesale. --i. watts.
      1913 webster
see also:
by wholesale 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

wholesale \whole"sale`\, a.
   1. pertaining to, or engaged in, trade by the piece or large
      quantity; selling to retailers or jobbers rather than to
      consumers; as, a wholesale merchant; the wholesale price.
      1913 webster

   2. extensive and indiscriminate; as, wholesale slaughter. "a
      time for wholesale trust." --mrs. humphry ward.
      1913 webster

[3] : WordNet (r) 2.0

wholesale
     adj 1: selling or related to selling goods in large quantities for
            resale to the consumer; "wholesale prices"; "a
            wholesale produce market" ant: retail
     2: ignoring distinctions; "sweeping generalizations";
        "wholesale destruction" syn: sweeping
     n : the selling of goods to merchants; usually in large
         quantities for resale to consumers ant: retail
     adv 1: at a wholesale price; "i can sell it to you wholesale" ant:
             retail
     2: on a large scale without careful discrimination; "i buy food
        wholesale" syn: in large quantities
     v : sell in large quantities ant: retail
see also:
retail sweeping in large quantities 

[4] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

219 moby thesaurus words for "wholesale":
   abounding, absolute, abundant, affluent, all-embracing,
   all-encompassing, all-out, all-pervading, all-sufficing, ample,
   aplenty, at a bargain, at a sacrifice, at budget prices, at cost,
   at cost price, at piggy-bank prices, at prime cost,
   at reduced rates, at small cost, at wholesale, be in, bill of sale,
   blanket, born, bottomless, bounteous, bountiful, broad,
   broad-based, business, carry, casual, cheap, cheaply, clean, clear,
   close out, commercial, comprehensive, congenital, consummate,
   convert into cash, copious, cut under, deal in, deep-dyed, demand,
   diffuse, downright, dump, dyed-in-the-wool, effect a sale, effuse,
   egregious, epidemic, exhaustive, exhaustless, extensive,
   extravagant, exuberant, far-embracing, far-extending, far-flung,
   far-flying, far-going, far-ranging, far-reaching, fat, fertile,
   flush, for a song, for pennies, full, galore, general, generous,
   handle, imprudent, in plenty, in quantity, indiscreet,
   indiscriminate, indiscriminating, indiscriminative, industrial,
   inexhaustible, inexpensively, insensitive, intensive, job,
   large-scale, lavish, liberal, luxuriant, make a sale, many, market,
   marketing, mass market, maximal, mercantile, merchandise,
   merchandising, merchant, moderately, move, much, nominally,
   nonjudgmental, numerous, omnibus, omnipresent, on the cheap,
   opulent, out-and-out, outlet, outright, overflowing, perfect,
   pervasive, plain, plenitudinous, plenteous, plentiful, plenty,
   plumb, prevailing, prevalent, prodigal, productive, profuse,
   profusive, promiscuous, pure, radical, rampant, reasonably,
   regular, replete, resell, retail, retailing, rich, rife, riotous,
   running over, sacrifice, sale, sales, sell, sell off,
   sell on consignment, sell out, sell over, sell retail, sell short,
   sell up, sell wholesale, selling, sheer, straight, superabundant,
   sweeping, tactless, teeming, thorough, thoroughgoing,
   through-and-through, tie-in, total, trade, trade in, trading,
   traffic in, turn into money, turn over, turnover, ubiquitous,
   unconditional, uncritical, uncriticizing, undemanding, undercut,
   undersell, undifferentiating, undiscreet, undiscriminated,
   undiscriminating, undiscriminative, undistinguishing, unexacting,
   unfastidious, universal, unload, unmeticulous, unmitigated,
   unparticular, unqualified, unreserved, unrestricted, unselective,
   unsubtle, untactful, utter, veritable, wealthy, well-found,
   well-furnished, well-provided, well-stocked, wholesaling, wide,
   wide-extended, wide-extending, wide-ranging, wide-reaching,
   wide-stretching, widespread

[5] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

wholesale. to sell by wholesale, is to sell by large parcels, generally in 
original packages, and not by retail. q.v. 

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