holster

[ hohl-ster ]

noun

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

verb (used with object)

1. to put or put back in a holster:

   to holster a gun.

holster

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˈholstered, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of holster¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of holster¹

C17: via Dutch holster from Germanic; compare Old Norse hulstr sheath, Old English heolstor darkness, Gothic hulistr cover

Example Sentences

McCarthy, she said, wanted to know why she was wearing a holster with a Colt revolver in it.

From Los Angeles Times

“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

A Riverside County sheriff’s deputy stabbed an inmate who attempted to grab the gun from his holster during a court hearing on Wednesday, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times

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

On her leg, beneath her dress, was a jury-rigged holster with a borrowed .45 handgun that had been developed for the military.

From Los Angeles Times