pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər 
ˈpän-
: one who lends money in exchange for personal property that can be sold if the loan is not repaid by a certain time
Examples of pawnbroker in a Sentence
He was desperate for money so he hocked his watch to a pawnbroker.
Recent Examples on the Web
Using the history of antisemitism against Jewish pawnbrokers (one of the few professions permitted to them in the 19th century), Grossman crafts a gripping tale of a woman who has swallowed the prejudices of society as surely as a poisonous potion.
—
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 May 2024
The two founded a record company of their own, Vee Jay Records, using $500 borrowed from a pawnbroker.
—The Indianapolis Star, 13 Aug. 2016
Gun sellers in this story were based on license categories 1, 2 and 9 from the ATF, which includes dealers in firearms other than destructive devices, including gunsmiths; pawnbrokers that sell firearms other than destructive devices; and dealers of destructive devices.
—Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, 10 July 2023
Because of these limits, banks kept interest rates between 6 and 12 percent and didn’t do much business with the poor, who in a pinch took their valuables to the pawnbroker or the loan shark.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pawnbroker 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 May 2024
The two founded a record company of their own, Vee Jay Records, using $500 borrowed from a pawnbroker.
—The Indianapolis Star, 13 Aug. 2016
Gun sellers in this story were based on license categories 1, 2 and 9 from the ATF, which includes dealers in firearms other than destructive devices, including gunsmiths; pawnbrokers that sell firearms other than destructive devices; and dealers of destructive devices.
—Ramsey Archibald | Rarchibald@al.com, al, 10 July 2023
Because of these limits, banks kept interest rates between 6 and 12 percent and didn’t do much business with the poor, who in a pinch took their valuables to the pawnbroker or the loan shark.
—Matthew Desmond, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2023
See all Example Sentences for pawnbroker
Dictionary Entries Near pawnbroker
Cite this Entry
“Pawnbroker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pawnbroker. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər
ˈpän-
: a person who makes a business of lending money and keeping personal property as a guarantee
Legal Definition
pawnbroker
noun
pawn·bro·ker
ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kər
: a person who lends money on the security of personal or movable property pledged in his or her keeping or who buys personal property and gives the seller an opportunity to buy back the property
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share