holster
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a sheathlike leather case for a pistol, attached to a belt or saddle
-
mountaineering a similar case for an ice axe or piton hammer
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing holster
Ghost Boys
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"Just Lather, That's All" and "The Woman Who Was Death"
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Elijah of Buxton
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He's a 16-year veteran of the war on drugs, standing ram rod straight, with a handgun in a holster around his neck - and with no illusions.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 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
“When we first came here, in ’64, I was dressed up in a poncho with a holster and a toy gun,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 26, 2024
When we first came here, in ’64, I was dressed up in a poncho with a holster and a toy gun.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 6, 2024
He drew a pair of pliers from his hip holster.
From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
