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.
Flanagan remembers walking into a bookmaker’s shop in Cardiff to ask what the odds were for the game. Peter Carline, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2025 As mentioned here, Real—second and four points off champion Barcelona last time—is odds-on with the bookmakers to win La Liga on this occasion. Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025 The bookmaker’s challenge, from the beginning, was simple: if too much money poured in on the favorite, the bookie risked ruin. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025 The odds of President Trump completing his second White House term have fallen dramatically as a result of public backlash over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case over the past month, according to a leading bookmaker. James Bickerton, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Bookmaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookmaker. Accessed 6 Sep. 2025.

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

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