noun
Lombard
LOM-bahd
noun
1
A member of a Germanic people who conquered and settled northern Italy in the 6th century.
"The Lombards gave their name to the modern Italian region of Lombardy."
2
A banker or moneylender — an old use of the word, from the reputation Lombard merchants had in medieval banking.
"In medieval London, wealthy lombards operated out of the street later named Lombard Street."
name
1
The Gallo-Italic language spoken in Lombardy and parts of southern Switzerland.
"Lombard is still spoken in some rural areas around Milan."
How to Use Lombard
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOriginally the name of a Germanic tribe that settled Italy; later used for bankers, since medieval Lombard merchants were famous moneylenders.
Memory tip
If you see "Lombard Street" in an old novel, it usually signals banking or finance, not the Italian region.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
Lombard Street
Lombard banker
Word Forms
more Lombard comparative, Lombards plural, Lombards plural, most Lombard superlative
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The _____ gave their name to the modern Italian region of Lombardy.
Etymology
From Old French Lombard, ultimately from Late Latin Langobardus, from Germanic elements meaning "long" + "beard" (or possibly "axe").