noun
Etymology: from bucket shop “low gin mill where alcoholic beverages were dispensed in small amounts in buckets”; from the small speculations that originally took place there
1. : a dishonest brokerage house operating in securities or commodities that does not execute orders placed on margin by customers, anticipating a profit from market fluctuations adverse to the customer's interests
2. : a gambling establishment in which wagers are made in the form of orders or options at current prices for securities or commodities without real intention to purchase or deliver, losses or gains being computed on the basis of changes in market quotations