bagman

[bag-man for 1; bag-muh n for 2, 3]

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noun, plural bag·men [bag-men for 1; bag-muh n for 2, 3] /ˈbægˌmɛn for 1; ˈbæg mən for 2, 3/.

dishonest official; a person who collects, carries, or distributes illegal payoff money.

British. a traveling salesman; drummer.

Australian. a tramp; swagman.

Origin of bagman

1525–35, for an earlier literally sense; bag + man¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for bagman

dealer, peddler, source, connection, man, bagman, traveler, drummer, pusher

Examples from the Web for bagman

Historical Examples of bagman

This evening I had company in the shape of a bagman, a smartish fellow.
A Thin Ghost and Others
M. R. (Montague Rhodes) James
They called us "bagman" for our last article, and we were sure they would.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 378, April, 1847
Various
To be a bagman is to be humble, but not of necessity vulgar.
The Fitz-Boodle Papers
William Makepeace Thackeray
Let the bagman return to his business, the squire to his five-barred gate.
From the Oak to the Olive
Julia Ward Howe
Look here—have you thought about the bagman's story—the first one?
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 159, December 1, 1920
Various

British Dictionary definitions for bagman

bagman

noun plural -men

British informal a travelling salesman

slang, mainly US a person who collects or distributes money for racketeers

informal, mainly Canadian a person who solicits money or subscriptions for a political party

Australian history a tramp or swagman, esp one on horseback

Also called: bagswinger Australian slang someone who takes money for a bookmaker

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012