Street
shylock
What does shylock mean?
A shylock is a loan shark, someone who lends money at illegally high interest and uses threats to collect. To 'shylock' is to lend this way.
"When the bank said no, he went to a shylock and regretted it."
Origin
From Shylock, the moneylender in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice.'
Frequently asked questions
What does 'shylock' mean?
A shylock is a loan shark, a person who lends money at illegally high interest and uses threats or violence to collect. As a verb, to shylock is to lend money that way.
Where does the word come from?
It comes from Shylock, the moneylender character in Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice.'
How is a shylock different from a bank?
A bank lends legally at regulated interest, while a shylock lends outside the law at extortionate rates and enforces payment through intimidation rather than the courts.
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