Definition

Noun: A pawnbroker's shop is a business establishment where individuals can obtain short-term loans by offering personal property as collateral. If the loan is not repaid within an agreed period, the shop may sell the pledged item to recover the money.

Usage

The term is used to refer to the physical location of a pawnbroker's business. * He took his old watch to the pawnbroker's shop to get some quick cash. * The street was lined with various stores, including a pawnbroker's shop.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe a place or situation where things are traded or sacrificed for immediate, often short-sighted, gain.
  • The corrupt official treated the government treasury like his personal pawnbroker's shop.

Variants and Related Words

• Pawnshop (n): A more common and concise synonym for "pawnbroker's shop."
• Pawnbroker (n): The person who owns or operates a pawnbroker's shop.
• Hock shop (n, informal): A slang term for a pawnbroker's shop.
• Lombard (n, chiefly British, historical): A term for a pawnbroker or moneylender, sometimes used in shop names.

Synonyms

• Pawnshop
• Loan office (in this specific context)
• Collateral lender

Related Phrases

• In pawn: Describes an item that has been left at a pawnbroker's shop as security for a loan.
  • His guitar is in pawn until he gets his next paycheck.
• Pawn ticket: The receipt given by a pawnbroker's shop when an item is pawned, which must be presented to reclaim the item.

Noun

1. a shop where loans are made with personal property as security