Pawnshop
/ˈpɔːnˌʃɒp/noun
A business that lends money on the security of personal property left as collateral.
Did you know?The pawn in pawnshop comes from a word meaning a pledge or security, and the same root also gave English pawn in chess—because both are about something temporarily given up and held in trust.
Etymological Timeline
Old French
OF
pan
“a pledge or security”
Middle English
EN
pawn
“a pledge, something deposited as security”
Middle English
EN
pawneshop
“a shop where goods are left as security for loans”
Modern English
EN
pawnshop
“a shop that lends money on collateral”