C19: from Irish Gaelic gaimbín interest on a loan, from Middle English cambie exchange, barter, from Latin cambium
usury in British English
(ˈjuːʒərɪ)
nounWord forms: plural-ries
1.
the act or practice of loaning money at an exorbitant rate of interest
2.
an exorbitant or unlawfully high amount or rate of interest
3. obsolete
moneylending
gombeen in American English
(ɡɑmˈbin)
noun
Irish
usury
Word origin
[1860–65; ‹ Ir gaimbín interest, esp. exorbitant interest, lit., bit, small piece, dim. of gamba lump, hunk]This word is first recorded in the period 1860–65. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: Paleolithic, monism, prep, raider, trade name