1. Plural of gombeenism; practices or systems of usury, petty trading, or exploitative moneylending, especially in rural Ireland.
Usage: chiefly Irish; historical; often pejorative

Examples

• The gombeenisms of local traders kept many rural families in debt for generations.
• Historical accounts describe the gombeenisms that plagued Irish agricultural communities in the 19th century.
• Scholars have documented various gombeenisms practiced by middlemen in rural economies.
• The novel critiques the gombeenisms that enriched a few at the expense of many.