derringer

American  

[der-in-jer] / ˈdɛr ɪn dʒər /

Or deringer

noun

1. an early short-barreled pocket pistol.

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derringer British  

/ ˈdɛrɪndʒə /

noun

1. a short-barrelled pocket pistol of large calibre

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Etymology

Origin of derringer

1850–55, named after Henry Deringer, mid-19th-century American gunsmith who invented it

Explanation

A derringer is a small pistol with a short barrel and a powerful pop. Because of its size, this handgun is easy to conceal. It’s the kind of gun someone in an old movie would hide in her beaded purse. If you've ever seen a film noir, you’ve probably seen someone firing a derringer — a handgun that's been around since the mid-1800's in the United States. This handgun was named for its inventor, Henry Deringer, who died in 1869. The double-r spelling came about when people made counterfeits of the gun, which was widely copied because of its great success. This gun was popular with women because it was easy to hide in a purse, beaded or not.

Example Sentences

Brigid also learns how to swoon on cue and aim a derringer in this vibrant new series.

From Washington Post • May 26, 2020

I’d walk downtown to Ford’s Theatre and go to the basement museum and see the derringer that John Wilkes Booth used.

From Washington Post • Sep. 5, 2019

They vote, and they are heavily armed, right down to the .22-caliber derringer fired by Nadine Wheeler, 63, a retiree who calls her tiny gun “the best in feminine protection.”

From New York Times • Nov. 4, 2016

Characters wield vintage weaponry including derringer pistols and cutlasses.

From The Guardian • Jul. 26, 2013

In his fist he cradles a derringer, the sort of pint-size pistol favored by ladies and cardsharps.

From "Lincoln's Last Days: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever" by Bill O'Reilly