mobster

[ mob-ster ]

noun

1. a member of a criminal mob.

mobster

/ ˈmɒbstə /

noun

1. a US slang word for gangster

Word History and Origins

Origin of mobster¹

1915–20, Americanism; mob ¹ (in the sense “a member of a criminal gang”)+ -ster

Example Sentences

Its Gotham as a right-wing talking point come to life, hollowed out by federal disinvestment and abandoned to the whims of street gangs, mobsters and the benevolent grace of a gazillionaire industrialist named Bruce Wayne.

From Salon

He sits in a cell at a Brooklyn jail where many a mobster knows well.

From Los Angeles Times

Well, he thought, what do mobsters have to do with suburban New Jersey?

From Salon

Gandolfini earned a number of awards for his performance as New Jersey mafia mobster Tony Soprano, including three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe.

From Salon

Twenty-two years ago, the pair famously met on the movie set of "Gigli," in which Affleck plays a bumbling mobster and Lopez plays the woman who helps him kidnap a young man.

From Salon

Related Words

• criminal
• crook
• hoodlum
• hooligan
• mafioso
• racketeer
• soldier
• thug