Shylock

[ shahy-lok ]
/ ˈʃaɪ lɒk /

noun

a relentless and revengeful moneylender in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice.
a hard-hearted moneylender.

verb (used without object)

(lowercase) to lend money at extortionate rates of interest.

OTHER WORDS FROM Shylock

Shy·lock·i·an, adjective Shy·lock·y, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for shylocking

Shylock
/ (ˈʃaɪˌlɒk) /

noun

a heartless or demanding creditor

Word Origin for Shylock

C19: after Shylock, the name of the heartless usurer in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1596)

Cultural definitions for shylocking

Shylock

The merciless moneylender in The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare. He demands a pound of flesh (see also pound of flesh) from the title character of the play after the merchant defaults on his debt.

notes for Shylock

Shylock is a Jew (see also Jews), and there has long been controversy over whether Shakespeare's portrayal of Shylock contributes to prejudice against Jews. Shylock is a cruel miser and eventually is heavily fined and disgraced, but he maintains his dignity. At one point in the play, he makes a famous, eloquent assertion that his desire for revenge is the same desire that a Christian would feel in his place. “I am a Jew,” says Shylock. “Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions?”