bookie

noun

book·​ie ˈbu̇-kē How to pronounce bookie (audio)
plural bookies
informal
: a person who determines gambling odds and receives and pays off bets : bookmaker
The "line"—the Vikings over the Giants by four points, for example—establishes the point spread that the bookie believes will attract gamblers in equal numbers to each side of the bet.Jack El-Hai
Funnily enough, I was never anxious to win one of these bets. I didn't want to collect from the bookie on any of them.Art Buchwald

Examples of bookie in a Sentence

Their bookie is giving good odds.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As a bookie, Tenax is privy to the knowledge that a member of the imperial family is badly in debt and ripe for exploitation. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024 Perhaps the truest indicator of the election outcome is not either of those, but the old-school bookie who takes an unbiased position and simply moves numbers based on action. Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Gets the family deeply into debt because of his gambling addiction, and even bets the money his bookie gave him as a baby gift. Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2024 The grandstands at the turn of the century were filled with gamblers and bookies placing bets on every play of the game. David Hill, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bookie 

Word History

Etymology

by shortening & alteration

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bookie was in 1877

Dictionary Entries Near bookie

Cite this Entry

“Bookie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bookie. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

bookie

noun
book·​ie ˈbu̇-kē How to pronounce bookie (audio)

More from Merriam-Webster on bookie

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!