repo

¹

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, plural re·pos.

1. a repurchase agreement.

repo

²

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, plural re·pos.

1. a repossessed property, especially a financed dwelling repossessed by the bank or other financing institution for delinquency of payment and offered for resale:

   We bought this trailer as a repo and have lived in it for 12 years, but now with kids we’re running out of room.

adjective

1. engaged in or relating to the business of repossessing or taking back high-priced merchandise, such as motor vehicles or machinery, from buyers who have failed to pay:

   I’m told that a repo company can just go to an address, find the car parked, and grab it.

verb (used with object)

1. to repossess or take back (merchandise) from buyers who have failed to pay:

   When their dry cleaning business really began to struggle, the bank repoed all their equipment.

repo

³

[ ree-poh ]

noun

, Computers Informal.

, plural re·pos.

1. repository ( def 5 ).

repo

/ ˈriːpəʊ /

noun

1. repurchase agreement
2. 1. repossession of property
   2. ( as modifier )

      a repo car

Word History and Origins

Origin of repo¹

First recorded in 1960–65; rep(urchase) + -o

Origin of repo²

By shortening of repossess; -o

Origin of repo³

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

One morning a noise woke him, and he ran outside with a baseball bat to find a repo man taking his SUV.

From Washington Post

Most banks in India haven’t fully passed on the benefits of lower repo rates to borrowers.

From Quartz

In fact, they haven’t even given their customers the full benefit of the repo rate cuts that happened before the Covid-19 outbreak in March.

From Quartz

People borrow money in the repo market by putting up solid collateral, like Treasury bills, and getting cash in return.

From Time

This level of excess bank reserves was more than 100,000% higher than in the decades before 2008, but they weren’t high enough to keep the repo market going.

From Time

And a repo will trash your undoubtedly sterling credit record.

From The Daily Beast

Having seen Repo, one wonders if she should reconsider, especially when the rumors are more interesting than reality.

From The Daily Beast

A futuristic Goth musical, Repo is set in a time when the human race is afflicted by a plague of organ failures.

From The Daily Beast

Where was you an' yore unknown pal goin' to repo't back to Plimsoll?

From Project Gutenberg