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

pawnbroking

ˈpȯn-ˌbrō-kiŋ 

ˈpän-

noun

Examples of pawnbroker in a Sentence

He was desperate for money so he hocked his watch to a pawnbroker.

Recent Examples on the Web

Never before has a town greeted me with a broke pawnbroker. — Literary Hub, 26 Nov. 2025

But with this adventurous yarn of back alley deals and rooftop escapes, Grossman challenges the narrative of the Jewish pawnbroker in history, illustrating how prejudice marginalized and villainized an entire group of people. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024

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

For example, if someone builds a firearm at home and then sells it to a pawnbroker or another licensed dealer, that dealer must add a serial number to the weapon before selling it to a customer. — Michael Collins, USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

pawn entry 2 + broker entry 1

First Known Use

1658, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for pawnbroker

• stockbroker
• broker
• choker
• coker
• croaker
• joker
• ochre
• poker
• smoker
• mediocre

Kids 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

pawnbroking

-kiŋ 

noun

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