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.
Al Capone remains one of the most notorious gangsters in American history.
Recent Examples on the WebThat’s what happens when one overly committed actor plays identical twin brothers of quite opposite comportment — both of whom also happen to be notorious real-life gangsters.—Elliott Smith and Chris Bellamy, EW.com, 23 May 2024 Once again starring Jia’s wife and brilliant muse, Zhao Tao — most recently seen in a memorable turn as a gangster’s tough girlfriend in 2018’s Ash Is Purest White — the new feature, which started shooting in 2001, traverses not only time and space but also Jia’s entire filmography.—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 May 2024 Every time a gangster is gunned down or a car bomb goes off in the streets of Corsica, the local channel flashes footage of the crime scene.—Peter Debruge, Variety, 20 May 2024 Armed gangsters had lured in the ambulance hoping, authorities believe, to seize the firearms of its police escorts.—Tommy Trenchard, NPR, 19 May 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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