bagman
[bag-man for 1; bag-muh n for 2, 3]
- dishonest official; a person who collects, carries, or distributes illegal payoff money.
- British. a traveling salesman; drummer.
- Australian. a tramp; swagman.
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Origin of bagman
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for bagman
Historical Examples
This evening I had company in the shape of a bagman, a smartish fellow.
A Thin Ghost and OthersM. R. (Montague Rhodes) James
They called us "bagman" for our last article, and we were sure they would.
To be a bagman is to be humble, but not of necessity vulgar.
The Fitz-Boodle PapersWilliam Makepeace Thackeray
Let the bagman return to his business, the squire to his five-barred gate.
From the Oak to the OliveJulia Ward Howe
Look here—have you thought about the bagman's story—the first one?
bagman
- 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
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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