Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A person who engages in an illegal business or other organized illegal activities.
  • intransitive verb To engage in an illegal business or other organized illegal activities.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun one who commits crimes (especially fraud, bribery, loansharking, extortion etc.) to aid in running a shady or illegal business.
  • noun one who instigates or has involvement with a racket.
  • verb to carry out illegal business activities or criminal schemes.
  • verb to commit crimes systematically as part of a criminal organization.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb carry on illegal business activities involving crime
  • noun someone who commits crimes for profit (especially one who obtains money by fraud or extortion)

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From racket +‎ -eer

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Examples

  • Time, the great racketeer, is always stealing from us.

    2006 December 23 « One-Minute Book Reviews 2006

  • He was identified as a racketeer in hearings before a U.S.

    KING - Home 2010

  • He was identified as a racketeer in hearings before a U.S.

    ajc.com - News 2010

  • He was identified as a racketeer in hearings before a U.S.

    The Herald | HeraldOnline.com - Front 2010

  • Webster's definition of 'racketeer': "one who obtains money by an illegal enterprise usually involving intimidation"

    Max Keiser: "Let Them Have Stained Carpets" - Obama's Marie Antoinette Moment 2009

  • Three Azerbaijani wrestlers win silvers at European Championship - UPDATE Azerbaijan Press Council announces seven newspapers "racketeer"

    Today.Az 2010

  • Three Azerbaijani wrestlers win silvers at European Championship - UPDATE Azerbaijan Press Council announces seven newspapers "racketeer"

    Today.Az 2010

  • Three Azerbaijani wrestlers win silvers at European Championship - UPDATE Azerbaijan Press Council announces seven newspapers "racketeer"

    Today.Az 2010

  • Three Azerbaijani wrestlers win silvers at European Championship - UPDATE Azerbaijan Press Council announces seven newspapers "racketeer"

    Today.Az 2010

  • Three Azerbaijani wrestlers win silvers at European Championship - UPDATE Azerbaijan Press Council announces seven newspapers "racketeer"

    Today.Az 2010

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