bookie

noun

book·​ie ˈbu̇-kē How to pronounce bookie (audio)
plural bookies
informal
: a person who determines gambling odds and receives and pays off bets : bookmaker
The "line"—the Vikings over the Giants by four points, for example—establishes the point spread that the bookie believes will attract gamblers in equal numbers to each side of the bet.Jack El-Hai
Funnily enough, I was never anxious to win one of these bets. I didn't want to collect from the bookie on any of them.Art Buchwald

Examples of bookie in a Sentence

Their bookie is giving good odds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
So why do these bookies and offshore operations maintain such a thriving business? Andy McCullough, The Athletic, 1 Apr. 2024 Flood of support, calls for privacy after Princess Catherine’s cancer news Trump escalates solidarity with Jan. 6 rioters as his own trials close in How a bankrupt bettor became the bookie at the center of an MLB scandal Northern lights slash a surprising amount of winter energy bills. Washington Post, 23 Mar. 2024 Ben, a financial analyst who lives in Detroit, where sports betting is legal, still wagers illegally with his longtime bookie. Will Yakowicz, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 Tradition frowns upon the mother of the bride shaking you down for more cash like an old-timey casino bookie. R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bookie 

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bookie was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near bookie

Cite this Entry

“Bookie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookie. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

bookie

noun
book·​ie ˈbu̇-kē How to pronounce bookie (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on bookie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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