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Shylock

Shylock

1 9.9
A person who lends money and charges very high interest
  • noun
  • /ˈʃaɪlɒk/
  • Slur
translation icon : Shylock
  • The term 'Shylock' is often used to describe someone who exploits others' desperation for money.

Examples

  • He was labeled a Shylock because of his ruthless tactics in lending money with high interest.

  • And he happens to have a really tough limited partner called Shylock, who, you know, wants his bond.

  • - The shylock.

  • Karen: He's the shylock.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • There's a famous bit in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice where the character of Porsche tries to persuade the villain of the play Shylock to have mercy.

  • In 'The Merchant of Venice', Shylock demands a pound of flesh as collateral for the loan.

Compounds

9.9

A person who lends money and charges very high interest

Surface Forms

Shylock singular
Shylocks plural

Etymology

Shylock comes from Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice', where Shylock is a Jewish moneylender shown as harsh and fixed on money. So Shylock came to mean a merciless or greedy moneylender.