one who profits; that is, one who
gains some advantage or acquires something of
value-most often something material. Specifically in its
use here, it refers to someone who takes advantage of a
period of scarcity (such as during natural disasters,
war, etc.) to make excessive
profit from those
items considered
vital or necessary to
survival, such as weapons, food, medical supplies, etc.
a person who makes an unfair
profit by taking advantage of
public necessity.