Pawnshops

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of retail establishment where individuals can sell or temporarily exchange items of value for cash loans; also serves as a marketplace for buying second-hand goods at potentially lower prices
2. Establishments that facilitate secured loans by allowing customers to pledge valuable items as collateral; these shops also buy and sell pre-owned merchandise, often at bargain prices
3. Businesses that specialize in providing cash advances against personal property while also operating as resale outlets for previously owned items, catering to budget-conscious consumers

Etymology: "Pawnshops" is simply the plural of "pawnshop," so the story belongs to its two parts. "Pawn" comes from the Old French "pan," meaning a pledge or security, and it was used in English for an object left as collateral for a loan, which the borrower could reclaim by repaying the debt. A "shop" is the familiar place of business, so a pawnshop is literally a shop dealing in such pledges. The word is a plain English compound, formed by joining "pawn" and "shop" with no special coinage or famous inventor behind it. Its meaning stayed close to the literal sense: a place where goods are handed over as security in exchange for money.

Synonyms: pawn brokers, pawn stores