Plural of bondsman; men who pledge themselves or their property as a guarantee that someone will fulfill an obligation or appear in court.
From Middle English 'bond' (a binding agreement) + 'man.' The word combines Old Norse 'bandi' (binding) with the Germanic suffix '-man,' evolving to mean a man bound by surety or legal obligation.
Bondsmen were essential to medieval and early modern legal systems—they're the reason why in many old books, characters fear 'losing a bondsman's honor.' This financial guarantee system evolved into modern bail bondsmen who still operate today, making it a surprisingly continuous legal tradition.
Uses masculine 'men' suffix for legal/financial agents. Historically excluded women from bonding professions and legal standing as sureties.
Use 'bond agents' or 'sureties' to refer to the role regardless of gender.
["bond agents","sureties","bonding professionals"]
Women were systematically excluded from surety and bonding roles until 20th-century legal reforms; acknowledge this when discussing bonding professions.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.