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What is the history of the word gangster?
Gangster came into the English language at the latter portion of the 19th century, as one of what is now a large parcel of words which have been formed by adding the noun combining form –ster to an existing word. The ending -ster has a number of possible meanings (“one that does, handles, or operates,” “one that makes or uses,” “one that is associated with or participates in,” “one that is”), and one of its interesting elements is that it has, in many cases, shifted its gender. This second portion of gangster comes from the Old English -estre, meaning “female agent.” The word tapster ("a bartender"), for instance, was tæppestre in Old English, and designated a barmaid, or female tapster. In modern use the addition of -ster may often be found in a gender-neutral sense, as with hipster, or with implications of masculinity, as with gangster and mobster, through prevalence of usage.
Synonyms
Examples of gangster in a Sentence
Chris Vognar, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2024
Morrissey’s résumé foretold his vision: Old Smoke was a boxing champion, gangster, casino owner, gambler and future United States congressman.
—Joe Drape, New York Times, 7 June 2024
Fine cognac is one of those rare things that unites 18th-century aristocrats and modern gangster rappers, whose love for the drink has repeatedly spilled over into their lyrics.
—Rachel Ventresca, Fortune Europe, 6 June 2024
By the end of that first hour, Mitch had been gunned down by a gangster who lacked the proper respect for the man’s position.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 2 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for gangster 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gangster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Gangster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gangster. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
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