gun moll
A female pickpocket or a gangster's woman.
Definitions
Originally a female pickpocket ('gun' = thief), 'gun moll' later came to mean a gangster's girlfriend or armed female accomplice.
gun moll In A Sentence
Origin & Usage
American, early 20th century; 'gun' (thief, from Yiddish gonif) plus 'moll' (woman).
People Also Ask
What does 'gun moll' mean?
Originally it meant a female pickpocket, since 'gun' was slang for a thief. It later came to mean a gangster's girlfriend or an armed female accomplice.
Where does 'gun moll' come from?
It is American slang from the early twentieth century, combining 'gun' (a thief, from Yiddish gonif) with 'moll' (a woman).
Does 'gun' in 'gun moll' mean a firearm?
Originally no. The 'gun' meant thief, from the Yiddish gonif. Only later, once 'gun moll' shifted to mean a gangster's woman, did the firearm sense colour it.
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