Shylock

1 of 2

noun

Shy·​lock ˈshī-ˌläk 

1

: the Jewish moneylender and antagonist of Antonio in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice

2

usually shylock plural shylocks

a

offensive

—used as an insulting and contemptuous term for a Jewish person

b

dated, offensive; see usage paragraph below : a person who lends money to others at an exploitatively high rate of interest : loan shark

Usage of Shylock

Except in reference to the Shakespeare character, use of Shylock/shylock is considered offensive. The noun and verb meanings relating to moneylending were not uncommon in early 20th century writings about organized crime, but today such use is understood to be rooted in ancient anti-semitic stereotypes.

shylock

2 of 2

verb

shy·​lock ˈshī-ˌläk 

shylocked; shylocking; shylocks

intransitive verb

dated, offensive

: to lend money at an exploitatively high rate of interest see usage paragraph at shylock

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1934, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Shylock

• alcock
• beanstalk
• bedrock
• boardwalk
• catwalk
• cornstalk
• crosswalk
• deadlock
• feedstock
• fetlock
• flintlock
• goshawk