pawnbroker

American  

[pawn-broh-ker] / ˈpɔnˌbroʊ kər /

noun

1. a person whose business is lending money at interest on personal, movable property deposited with the lender until redeemed.

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pawnbroker British  

/ ˈpɔːnˌbrəʊkə /

noun

1. a dealer licensed to lend money at a specified rate of interest on the security of movable personal property, which can be sold if the loan is not repaid within a specified period

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Other Word Forms

• pawnbroking noun

Etymology

Origin of pawnbroker

First recorded in 1680–90; pawn ¹ + broker

Explanation

A pawnbroker is someone who owns a shop that loans people money in exchange for valuable items. If you want to hock your engagement ring, head to a pawnbroker! If you pawn your bike at a pawnbroker's shop (also called a pawnshop), you will leave with cash, but not quite as much as your bike is worth. To get it back, you'll have to pay back the money plus interest — and if you don't, the pawnbroker will eventually sell your bike to someone else. To pawn is to "give an object as security in exchange for money," and a broker is a "seller of other people's goods."

Example Sentences

A greedy pawnbroker gets involved, and the pieces are in place for a fable — a surreal one, without the customary lesson at the end.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

You can always head to your local pawnbroker or a merchant who specializes in coins or precious metals.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

Nathan Finch, managing director of the pawnbroker we visited, said he had seen an uplift in business due to the cost of living crisis and inflation.

From BBC • Oct. 9, 2023

Because of these limits, banks kept interest rates between 6 and 12 percent and didn’t do much business with the poor, who in a pinch took their valuables to the pawnbroker or the loan shark.

From New York Times • Mar. 9, 2023

Then the pawnbroker looked at the four rugs, carefully inspecting the designs and weaving.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young