gombeen-man

[ gom-been-man ]

noun

, Irish English.

, plural gom·been-men.

1. a usurer or moneylender.

gombeen-man

/ ˈɡɒmbiːnˌmæn /

noun

1. a shopkeeper who practises usury

Word History and Origins

Origin of gombeen-man¹

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

The lark shall never come to say To a gombeen-man, "Good day," And the lark shall never cry To a kindly man, "Good-bye."

From Project Gutenberg

See the greedy gombeen-man Taking everything he can From man and woman, dog and cat— And the lark does not like that.

From Project Gutenberg