ˈnepmən, -ˌman noun
( plural nepmen )
Etymology: Russian, from nep New Economic Policy (from N ovaya E konomicheskaya P olitika New Economic Policy) + -man (probably from German mann man, from Old High German man ) — more at man
: 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