▪ I. broker
(ˈbrəʊkə(r))
Forms: 4–5 brocor, brokour, brocour(e, 6 brooker, brokar, 7 broaker, 5– broker. See also brogger.
[ME. brocor, -our, brokour, a. AngloF. brocour (also broggour) = ONF. brokeor (:—L. type *broccātōrem), nom. brokiere (:—L. *broccātor) of which Godefroy has one example explained by him as ‘celui qui vend du vin au broc’, as to the precise sense of which see below. The Central Fr. equivalent was brocheor, brochière; and the word is the agent noun of the OFr. vb. brochier, ONF. brokier (:—L. *broccāre) in the sense ‘to broach’ or ‘tap’ a cask. Brocheor, brokeor stand in precisely the same relation to the n. broche, broc, and the vb. brochier, brokier, as tapster or rather the earlier tapper stand to the n. tap, and vb. to tap in Teutonic: the brocheor, brokeor, brokour, or broker, was lit. a tapster, who retailed wine ‘from the tap’, and hence, by extension, any retail-dealer, one who bought to sell over again, a second-hand dealer, or who bought for another, hence a jobber, middleman, agent, etc. Cf. sense of L. caupo.
The Romanic vb. broccare was evidently f. brocco, brocca in the sense of ‘spike, piercing instrument’ (:—L. broccus, brocca adj.: see broach). But these ns. appear to have afterwards had their sense modified from the verb, so that in the OF. vendre à broke, or à broche, in mod.F. vendre à broc, the sense passed from ‘broach’, to ‘broaching, tapping’, and at length to ‘the quantity of wine drawn at a broaching or tapping’, and hence ‘the jug or vessel which held this’, as in mod.F. broc (from 5 to 10 litres). Anglo-French had also a deriv. form abrocour, and there were Anglo-Latin words abrocator, abrocamentum; also brocarius ‘proxeneta, interpres et consiliarius contractuum’, and abrocarius. Brocarius appears to have been formed on the n. (broc(c)a, broc(c)us); abrocarius must have been formed on the apparent analogy of brocator, abrocator.]
I. A retailer of commodities; a second-hand dealer.
† 1. A retailer; contemptuously, Pedlar, petty dealer, monger. (Now sunk in sense 2.)
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. vii. 95 Ȝut am ich brocor of bakbytynge · and blame mennes ware. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 33 For gould his carcasse was sold by the broker Achilles. 1598 Marston Pigmal. i. 138 But Broker of anothers wit. 1657 J. Angier Elegy in S. Purchas Pol. Flying Ins., Brokers in verse condemn it. 1730 Young Ep. Pope i. Poems (1757) I. 183 Millions of wits, and brokers in old song. |
2. A dealer in second-hand furniture and apparel; a pawnbroker.
| [1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 248, I haue lent lordes and ladyes my chaffare And ben her brocour after, and bouȝte it myself.] 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. 39, I haue hard prisoners..declaime and crie out against brookers. For, said they..if they would not haue receiued our stollen goods, we woulde neuer haue stollen them. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. iii. v. (1616) 39 A Hounds-ditch man, sir. One of the deuils neere kinsmen, a broker. 1600 Rowland Lett. Humours Blood i. 47 Clad in the ruines of a Brokers shoppe. 1611 ― Knave of Hrts. in Singer Hist. Cards 257 Or brokers, for their buying things are stole. 1641 Termes de la Ley 43 b, Broker..the word is now also appropriated to them amongst us that buy and sell old and broken apparell and household-stuffe. 1766 Entick London IV. 69 Brokers, who deal in both new and old houshold goods. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton 15 An old landscape that has lain for years in a broker's shop. |
II. One who acts as a middleman in bargains.
3. ‘One employed as a middleman to transact business or negotiate bargains between different merchants or individuals’ (M{supc}Culloch). Formerly used more widely, including the senses of ‘jobber, agent, factor, commission-agent’.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 130 Amonges Burgeyses haue I be dwellynge at Londoun, And gert bakbitinge be a brocoure [C. brocor] to blame mennes ware. 1410 Will of R. Beche (Somerset Ho.) John Houghton Brocour Artis Aurifabrorum. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. ccv. 186 An alyen that was callyd Arnold of spayne that was a brocour of london. 1495 Act 11 Hen. VII, viii, [If] the seller hymself or by his broker or factour..bye the same godes. 1509 Will of Draycot (Somerset Ho.) Haberdassher and broker. 1570 Levins Manip. 71 A Broker, proxeneta. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 260 There are in Pegu eight Brokers..which are bound to sell your goods at the price which they be worth, and you giue them for their labour two in the hundred. 1622 Malynes Anc. Law-Merch. 202 The common saying is, That a craftie Merchant needeth no Broker. 1641 Termes de la Ley 43 b, The true trade of a Broker..is to beat, contrive, make, and conclude Bargaines between Merchants and Tradesmen. c 1645 Howell Lett. vi. 24 By their profession they are for the most part Broakers. 1705 Lond. Gaz. No. 4131/4 John Styles, Sworn-Broker [see 1849]. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 56 He served them for..a broker, to bargain for them with the European ships for provisions. 1849 Freese Comm. Class-bk. 19 Brokers ought to be sworn by the public authorities not to transact any business on their own account, under a heavy penalty; which is the case in..London, etc. 1858 Ld. St. Leonards Handy Bk. Prop. Law xxi. 166 Never allow the money..to be retained by brokers, agents, or solicitors. |
b. ‘Brokers are divided into different classes; as bill broker or exchange brokers, stockbrokers, ship broker and insurance brokers, pawnbrokers... The brokers who negotiate sales of produce between different merchants usually confine themselves to some one department or line of business’ (M{supc}Culloch), as cotton-broker, tea-broker, wool-broker, etc.
| 1622 Malynes Anc. Law-Merch. 64 Guided..by ignorant Brokers of Exchanges. 1769 Junius Lett. i. 9 A man, whose cares..have degraded the office of Commander-in-Chief into a broker of Commissions. Ibid. ii. 13 The dignity is depraved..into the base office of a Commission-broker. 1849 Cobden Speeches 46 The cotton brokers of Liverpool, and the cotton spinners of Manchester. 1852 M{supc}Culloch Comm. Dict. 198 Their charge as ship brokers is about 2 per cent. on the gross receipts. When they act as insurance brokers they charge 5 per cent. on the premium. a 1860 C. Fenn Eng. & For. Funds (1883) 127 The members of the Stock Exchange are called Jobbers and Brokers. The broker deals with the jobber for his principal, and is remunerated by commission. 1860 All Y. Round No. 75. 582 Blacklegs..the betting brokers were formerly called. |
† 4. A go-between or intermediary in love affairs; a hired match-maker, marriage-agent; also a procurer, pimp, bawd; a pander generally. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. ii. 65 And now worth this Mede ymaried al to a mansed schrewe..Ac fauel was þe first þat fette hire out of boure, And as a brokour brouȝte hir, to be with fals enioigned. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 280 Brocours of love, that deceiven. 1514 Barclay Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847) 30 So many woers, baudes and brokers..that chast Penelope Coulde scant among them preserve hir chastitie. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. i. ii. 41 Now (by my modesty) a goodly Broker. 1606 ― Tr. & Cr. v. x. 33 Pandarus. But heare you? heare you? Troylus. Hence broker, lackie! 1621 Ainsworth Annot. Numb. xv. 29 The heart and the eyes are the spies of the body, and brokers to bring it into transgression. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 24 Danvill..left behind him a broker betwixt him and the queene, Monsieur Chatelat. 1694 R. Lestrange Fables cxxviii. (1714) 145 This Praying Carpenter here would have made Mercury a Broker to his Knavery. |
5. A middleman, intermediary, or agent generally; an interpreter, messenger, commissioner.
| 1530 Palsgr. 201/2 Broker that speketh many languages, truchement [i.e. dragoman]. 1576 Tyde taryeth no man in Collier Illustr. E.E. Pop. Lit. 12 Thou, Helpe, art a broker betweene man and man, Whereby much deceyte thou usest now and than. 1586 J. Hooker in Holinshed II. 91/2 Thomas foorthwith sent his messengers..to his cousine the lord Butler..Wherevpon the lord Butler returned Thomas his brokers with this letter. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, iv. i. 63 You shall giue me leaue To play the Broker in mine owne behalfe. 1600 Holland Livy xxvii. xv. 639 The brocher and broker both of the treason, had brought word. 1571 Hanmer Chron. Irel. 196 These Nuntioes were so crafty, that they needed no Brokers. 1642 T. Taylor God's Judgem. i. i. xix. 61 As Truth got ever the upper hand..so the broakers and upholders of falshood came ever to the worse. 1864 Lowell Study Wind. (1886) 118 The brokers of treason in the North. |
† b. A legal agent, a proctor. Obs.
| 1538 Starkey England i. iii. §29 (1871) 83 Prokturys and brokarys of both lawys, wych rather trowbul menny causys then fynysch them justely, are to many. |
† c. frequently with implied censure. Obs.
| c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Good Mann. (1570) G iv, Be no towler, catchpoll nor customer, No broker nor botcher, no somner nor sergeaunt. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 135 Two false knaues neede no broker. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1594) 245 Flatterers, brokers, and such as are most wicked, carie away offices..& wastfully consume the publike treasure. 1595 Shakes. John ii. i. 568 That Broker, that still breakes the pate of faith, That dayly breake-vow, he that winnes of all. 1608 Dekker Sev. Sins vi. (Arb.) 40 Brokers yat shaue poore men by most iewish interest. |
III. 6. A person licensed to sell or appraise household furniture distrained for rent.
| 1818 Act 57 Geo. III, xciii. 1836 Dickens Sk. Boz v. (1850) 16/1 ‘A broker's man's is not a life to be envied..people hate and scout 'em because they're the ministers of wretchedness, like, to poor people’. 1852 M{supc}Culloch Comm. Dict. 198 Brokers, simply so called, in their character of appraisers and sellers of goods distrained for rent, are regulated by 57 Geo. III. c. 93. Mod. The landlord put in the brokers yesterday, and all his furniture is gone. |
7. Comb. broker-between = broker 3, 4; broker-woman; broker-like a.
| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 211 Let all inconstant men be Troylusses, all false women Cressids, and all brokers betweene Panders. 1723 Lond. Gaz. No. 6217/4 Elizabeth Boden..Broker-woman. 1607 Miseries Enf. Marr. iii. in Hazl. Dodsley IX. 512 What beards..gentlemenlike-beards, or brokerlike-beards? |
▪ II. broker, v.
Brit. /ˈbrəʊkə/, U.S. /ˈbroʊkər/
[‹ broker n. Compare slightly earlier brokering n.]
1. trans. To act as a broker for; to arrange as a broker; to negotiate.
| 1638 L. Roberts Merchants Mappe of Commerce cclx. 218 Oiles are commonly laden at Porcupin, and were found in my time to have these charges for custome..for sea custome at 9 dob. per liver, brokered at 1 den. per liver. 1768 Y. Z. Seasonable Let. on Late Treaty with Nizam Allee Kawn 19 If the recent report of a peace, for which he is to be brokered out of only fifteen lacks [sic] of rupees..shall prove a fact, the machination is too base to be thought of without horror. 1870 Defiance (Ohio) Democrat 5 Mar. 2/1 Isn't there..some negro preacher, who has collected funds for church building and appropriated it for private use, and who ‘brokered’ his race into the army? 1901 Chicago Daily Tribune 17 Sept. 13/1 The agents brokered the lines with non-board companies, thus violating the condition on which the cut was allowed. 1959 M. G. de Chazeau & A. E. Kahn Integration & Competition in Petroleum Industry xix. 509 We were not only..never out of crude, but we brokered crude to other refiners. 2000 Business Day (S. Afr.) 28 Jan. 14/2 The man who brokered the Bosnia settlement at Dayton, Ohio. |
2. intr. To act as a broker. Usu. with for.
| 1728 D. Defoe Syst. Magick ii. Introd. 226 It is true these blackest of the Black-Art Men have a great many other things in their Practice, besides that of brokering for the Devil. 1816 Times 11 Oct. 3/1 He would..sit in a coffee-room at the west-end of the town, and offer to broker for seats in Parliament as easily as for cow-hides. 1925 N. Makeev & V. O'Hara Russia i. 24 The native Russian was satisfied with the less active rôle of brokering between the small dealers and the Hansa merchants. 2004 Newsweek (Electronic ed.) 15 Mar. Bacanovic brokered for both Martha and the Waksals. |