1. The act of lending money at an exorbitant rate of interest
   "The desperate borrower fell victim to gombeen practices";
   - usury
    
2. [Ireland, informal] A mean, corrupt person (esp. of a politician)
   "The voters were tired of the gombeen men who only looked after their own interests"

Derived forms: gombeens

Type of: lending, loaning

Encyclopedia: Gombeen