gumshoe

gumshoe
gumshoe "plainclothes detective," 1906, from the rubber-soled shoes they wore (which were so called from 1863); from GUM (Cf. gum) (1) + SHOE (Cf. shoe).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • gumshoe — gum shoe n. 1. A detective; a private eye. [slang] [PJC] 2. A shoe made of rubber, as a rubber overshoe. [PJC] 3. A sneaker[3]. [PJC] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gumshoe — index prowl Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • Gumshoe —    Comédie de Stephen Frears, avec Albert Finney (Eddie Ginley), Billie Whitelaw (Ellen), Frank Finlay (William), Janice RuleMrs. Blankerscoon), Carolyn Seymour (Alison Wyatt).   Scénario: Neville Smith   Photographie: Chris Menges   Décor:… …   Dictionnaire mondial des Films

  • gumshoe — ☆ gumshoe [gum′sho͞o΄ ] n. [ GUM1 (rubber) + SHOE] 1. a) a rubber overshoe b) [pl.] sneakers 2. Slang a detective vi. gumshoed, gumshoeing …   English World dictionary

  • gumshoe — I n A private investigator. Sally hired a low life gumshoe to tail her husband. 1940s II n Detective. Some gumshoe has been tailing me all afternoon. 1860s …   Historical dictionary of American slang

  • gumshoe —    American    an investigator in plain clothes    He has an ability to walk quietly on rubber soles. He may be a policeman or a private detective:     Don t you call me sister you cheap gumshoe. (Chandler, 1958, insulting a policeman)     The… …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • gumshoe — UK [ˈɡʌmˌʃuː] / US [ˈɡʌmˌʃu] noun [countable] Word forms gumshoe : singular gumshoe plural gumshoes American old fashioned a detective 2) …   English dictionary

  • gumshoe — [“gam1 Ju] n. a policeman or a detective. (Underworld. Also a term of address. So named for wearing silent, gum rubber soles.) □ Has that gumshoe been around asking questions again? □ Look, gumshoe, what do you want with me? …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • gumshoe — noun /ˈɡʌm.ʃuː/ a) A sneaker or rubber overshoe. Whos this gumshoe guy from the bush league tailin us? b) A detective. Syn: detective, dick …   Wiktionary

  • gumshoe — Synonyms and related words: Dogberry, John Law, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes, beagle, bluecoat, bobby, bull, cop, copper, couch, crawl, creep, dick, eye, flatfoot, flattie, fuzz, gendarme, go on tiptoe, grovel, gumshoe man, hawkshaw, heat, inch,… …   Moby Thesaurus

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