pawnbroker

P3A1W4N1B3R1O1K5E1R1
UK/ˈpɔːnˌbɹəʊ.kə(ɹ)/

noun

A person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security – which may be sold if not redeemed.

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Meanings

nounpawnbroker (plural pawnbrokers)

plural pawnbrokers

  1. A person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security – which may be sold if not redeemed.

    "We may keep it by us," replied the pawnbroker, "for months; there is no demand for such articles." "But," exclaimed she, eagerly, "I shall soon redeem it!" "So you all say," returned the man, with imperturbable coolness.

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Poverty”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 280

Origin

From pawn + broker.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 當舖老闆 /当铺老板
  • 當舖老闆 /当铺老板 (dàngpù lǎobǎn)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Czech zastavárník
  • zastavárníkperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Danish pantelåner
  • pantelånerperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Dutch pandjesbaas, lommerd
  • pandjesbaasperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • lommerdperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Esperanto lombardisto
  • lombardistoperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Estonian lombard
  • lombardperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Finnish panttilainaamon pitäjä
  • panttilainaamon pitäjäperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
French prêteur sur gages, prêteuse sur gages
  • prêteur sur gagesperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • prêteuse sur gagesperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
German Pfandleiher, Pfandleiherin
  • Pfandleiherperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • Pfandleiherinperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Greek ενεχυροδανειστής
  • ενεχυροδανειστής (enechyrodaneistís)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Hungarian zálogkölcsönző
  • zálogkölcsönzőperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Indonesian pegadai
  • pegadaiperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Japanese 質屋
  • 質屋 (shichiya)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Latin pignerātor
  • pignerātorperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Māori kaitaupua moni
  • kaitaupua moniperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Norwegian Bokmål pantelåner, onkel
  • pantelånerperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • onkelperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Polish lombardzista
  • lombardzistaperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Portuguese penhorista
  • penhoristaperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Romanian amanetar
  • amanetarperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Russian ростовщи́к, ростовщи́ца
  • ростовщи́к (rostovščík)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • ростовщи́ца (rostovščíca)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • проце́нтщик (procéntščik)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • проце́нтщица (procéntščica)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • ломба́рдщик (lombárdščik)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
  • ломба́рдщица (lombárdščica)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Spanish prestamista
  • prestamistaperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Swedish pantlånare
  • pantlånareperson who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Ukrainian лихва́р
  • лихва́р (lyxvár)person who makes monetary loans at interest, taking personal property as security
Cite this entry
APA

pawnbroker. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pawnbroker

MLA

“pawnbroker.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pawnbroker. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pawnbroker,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pawnbroker.

Source: pawnbroker on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.