noun
Street Slang
gun
GUN · noun · slang
A thief or pickpocket (not a firearm).
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Definitions
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In older underworld cant 'gun' means a thief or pickpocket. It derives from Yiddish 'gonif' rather than the weapon.
“He was a gun from way back, working fairs and racetracks up and down the coast.”
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gun In A Sentence
He was a gun from way back, working fairs and racetracks up and down the coast.
Origin & Usage
From Yiddish 'gonif/gonef' (thief), clipped to 'gun.'
People Also Ask
What does 'gun' mean in underworld cant?
In older underworld cant 'gun' means a thief or pickpocket, not a firearm. It derives from Yiddish 'gonif' meaning thief.
Why does 'gun' mean thief and not weapon?
This sense comes from Yiddish 'gonif' or 'gonef', meaning thief, clipped down to 'gun'. It is unrelated to the weapon of the same spelling.
Is this 'gun' still used today?
It is chiefly a historical cant term now, though it survives in the derived slang 'cannon' for a skilled pickpocket.
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