Greenmail (noun)

A type of corporate takeover in which a potential acquirer threatens to buy a large number of shares in the target company unless the company buys back the shares at a premium.

Origin:

The term greenmail comes from the combination of the words "green" meaning "money" and "mail" meaning "to send".

Examples:

1. The company was forced to pay greenmail to the hostile acquirer.
2. The practice of greenmail is controversial and is seen as a form of extortion.
3. He made a fortune through greenmail in the 1980s.
4. The greenmail was seen as a way to prevent a hostile takeover.
5. Greenmail is a legal but unethical way to make money.