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 WebMany of them were dressed as gangsters, in fedoras and suits with pocket squares.—Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024 Below is the second teaser trailer for the upcoming Max limited series — a spinoff of Matt Reeves’ 2022 hit The Batman starring Colin Farrell as the infamous Gotham City gangster.—James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 June 2024 And Beating 'The Sopranos' To The Idea The film, which starred an amazing Harvey Keitel as Charlie Cappa, a conflicted young gangster who tried to look out for his impetuous friend, was part of De Niro Con, a tribute to the Oscar-winning actor and co-founder of the Tribeca Festival.—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 15 June 2024 Congress banned automatic weapons for private use through a 1934 law, after machine guns became the weapon of choice for gangsters like Al Capone and John Dillinger.—Maureen Groppe, USA TODAY, 14 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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