racketeer — a person who engages in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings, especially obtaining money through illegal schemes
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: a person who engages in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings, especially obtaining money through illegal schemes
Pronunciation (IPA): /ˌrækɪˈtɪr/
Example Sentences
- The FBI finally caught the racketeer who had been terrorizing local businesses for years.
- He went from being a tennis coach to a racketeer, but at least he still knew how to handle a racket!
- The racketeer's protection scheme collapsed when the shop owners united against him.
racketeer
NOUN[/ˌrækɪˈtɪr/]
a person who engages in dishonest and fraudulent business dealings, especially obtaining money through illegal schemes
The racketeer demands weekly payments from the trembling shop owner.
From engineer to racketeer - what a twisted career!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from 'racket,' originally referring to a tennis racket, which evolved in early 20th-century American English to mean 'loud noise' or 'fraud.' The term was later applied metaphorically to gangsters' noisy illicit activities during the Prohibition era, eventually solidifying to mean a person engaged in organized crime or extortion.
Breakdown
racket (noise, fraudulent scheme) + -eer (agent noun suffix meaning 'one who practices or is involved in'). The suffix -eer is derived from French -ier, indicating a person professionally or habitually engaged in a specified activity.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The FBI finally caught the racketeer who had been terrorizing local businesses for years.”
“He went from being a tennis coach to a racketeer, but at least he still knew how to handle a racket!”
“The racketeer's protection scheme collapsed when the shop owners united against him.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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