Also 7 buddle. [Origin and history obscure; but the mod. U.S. boodle, in sense 1, must be the same as Markham’s buddle: sense 2 (also only in U.S.) may be a different word; it suggests Du. boedel ‘estate, possession, inheritance, stock,’ which it is not so easy to connect with sense 1.]
1. Crowd, pack, lot: as in the contemptuous ‘the whole boodle.’
1625. F. Markham, Bk. Honour, IV. ii. Men curiously and carefully chosen out (from all the Buddle and masse of great ones) for their approoued wisedome.
1858. O. W. Holmes, Aut. Breakf.-t., 139. He would like to have the whole boodle of them (I remonstrated against this word, but the professor said it was a diabolish good word…) with their wives and children shipwrecked on a remote island.
2. Stock in trade, capital.
1884. Boston (Mass.) Globe, 7 Oct. ‘Sinews of war’ … ‘soap’ and other synonymes for campaign boodle are familiar.
