bookmaker

noun

book·​mak·​er ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce bookmaker (audio)
1
: a printer, binder, or designer of books
2
: a person who determines odds and receives and pays off bets
bookmaking noun

Examples of bookmaker in a Sentence

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.
The Herons were bookmakers’ favorites in both games against an Atlanta side that needed to win three consecutive matches just to scrape into this Round One series. Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024 As Americans head to the polls, bookmakers still favor Donald Trump to beat Kamala Harris, with the odds in the final days shifting in Trump's favor. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Of course, this is a very different Leicester from the one that defied the 5,000-1 bookmaker odds, although Claudio Ranieri’s title-winners side had also been tipped for relegation. Rob Tanner, The Athletic, 19 Aug. 2024 Betfair, a British betting exchange, thinks Trump is most likely to win in Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, although the bookmaker has Democrat Kamala Harris as favorite in Michigan and Wisconsin. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bookmaker 

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bookmaker was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bookmaker

Cite this Entry

“Bookmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookmaker. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bookmaker

noun
book·​mak·​er ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce bookmaker (audio)
: a person who receives and pays off bets

Legal Definition

bookmaker

noun
book·​mak·​er ˈbu̇k-ˌmā-kər How to pronounce bookmaker (audio)
: a person who determines odds and receives and pays off bets

called also bookie

More from Merriam-Webster on bookmaker

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