holster

American  

[hohl-ster] / ˈhoʊl stər /

noun

holsters plural

1. a sheathlike carrying case for a firearm, attached to a belt, shoulder sling, or saddle.

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verb (used with object)

1. to put or put back in a holster.

   to holster a gun.

holster British  

/ ˈhəʊlstə /

noun

1. a sheathlike leather case for a pistol, attached to a belt or saddle

2. mountaineering a similar case for an ice axe or piton hammer

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• holstered
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• holsters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of holster

1655–65; < Dutch; cognate with Gothic hulistr, Old Norse hulstr sheath; akin to Old English helan to hide

Explanation

The noun holster looks like holder and that's exactly what it is. Some holsters hold a single item, like a gun, and others are more like tool belts, holding many small items. The o in holster is long, so pronounce it like this: "HOLE-ster." Originally, the word described something very specific — a leather case for a pistol. It probably comes from the Old English word heolster (earlier helustr), which means "concealment, hiding place." Today, holsters may hide what they hold, but they always keep things handy.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

holster holsters

On display here is a circa 1770 officer’s holster pistol, owned by Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Once law enforcement identifies the man’s specific clothing, weapon, and the carry holster, it may trigger someone’s memory and generate a vital tip, Vernon said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026

The officer then calmly put his gun back in his holster and walked toward the car, which had crashed into another car down the street.

From Slate ● Jan. 7, 2026

A woman had a 9mm pistol in a holster strapped on over her flowery dress.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2025

Then he opened the cab door, slouched out onto the ground near the corral, and said, “Carl, why don’t you holster that gun before somebody gets hurt?”

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

The agents wore balaclavas partially covering their faces, he says, and some carried rifles while others had handguns in their holsters.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

Living in Oklahoma, I’m used to seeing crossed-gun Second Amendment bumper stickers on the backs of trucks and gun holsters displayed proudly on people’s waists.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2024

Department officials have said little publicly, but a few weeks after the girl’s death, they sent an email reminder to all deputies, instructing them not to use unapproved holsters or weapons.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 7, 2024

“The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines, was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and belt clip federal ID,” Mr. Kennedy said.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 16, 2023

Then we drove a state van around the perimeter to Wallpost 18, where I climbed out, my arms laden with the pistols, belts, and holsters.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover