gumshoe

American  

[guhm-shoo] / ˈgʌmˌʃu /

noun

1. Slang. a detective.

2. a shoe made of gum elastic or India rubber; rubber overshoe.

3. sneaker.

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verb (used without object)

gumshoed, gumshoeing

1. Slang.

   1. to work as a detective.

   2. to go softly, as if wearing rubber shoes; move or act snoopily or stealthily.

gumshoe British  

/ ˈɡʌmˌʃuː /

noun

1. a waterproof overshoe

2. a rubber-soled shoe

3. slang a detective or one who moves about stealthily

4. slang a stealthy action or movement

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verb

1. slang (intr) to act stealthily

Etymology

Origin of gumshoe

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; gum ¹ + shoe

Explanation

When you wear gumshoes, you're pulling on waterproof galoshes over your regular footwear. If you are a gumshoe, on the other hand, you're a private detective, investigating a case. The "detective" meaning of this word comes from the "galoshes" definition. In fact, during the late 19th century, gumshoes or gums were any type of rubber-soled shoes. Around the turn of the 20th century, to gumshoe meant "to sneak around," and by 1906, gumshoe became a common nickname for plainclothes detectives (or "private eyes"), famous for moving stealthily in their quiet rubber-soled shoes.

Example Sentences

But if the musical ever gets a rewrite, I’d suggest bringing the gumshoe on as soon as possible.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2023

Melling’s scenery-chewing portrayal of the budding writer — and, here, amateur gumshoe — is one of the film’s chief delights.

From Washington Post • Jan. 3, 2023

With Sam Rockwell playing a fedora-wearing gumshoe and Saoirse Ronan as an overeager police constable with an adorable Scottish accent, this looks like one of the most fun comedies of the fall season.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 9, 2022

A few other things, really, including a fish-out-of-water comedy and a twisty detective story, with Ben as both fish and gumshoe.

From New York Times • Jul. 28, 2022

In literature and in the popular imagination, the all-seeing private eye—the gumshoe, the cinder dick, the sleuthhound, the shadow—displaced the crusading sheriff as the archetype of rough justice.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

Related Words

• detective
• sleuth