Definition of "pawnbroker" [pawn•bro•ker]

• One that lends money at interest in exchange for personal property deposited as security. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The first, whether from a friend or from a pawnbroker, is extremely distasteful; the second provides, for some people, a certain masochistic kick; the third is definitely enjoyable, but can seldom be done in a hurry."
• "And the sneering that accompanies every use of the word pawnbroker is palpable."
• "The pawnbroker was a gentleman of Jewish persuasion, and possessed a nose like the beak of an eagle."