Word
roscoe
Phoneticsroscoe
/ˈɹɑskoʊ/
Definition
n. an old-fashioned slang word for a handgun, especially a pistol or revolver. You might see this in old detective movies or books about gangsters.
n. a handgun, typically a pistol or revolver. Slang associated with early 20th-century American underworld and hardboiled detective fiction.
Examples
“The detective reached for the roscoe hidden in his coat.”
“In the classic noir film, the gangster pulled a roscoe from his pocket and demanded the money.”
“The pulp novelist filled his pages with period-accurate slang, ensuring every private eye carried a roscoe and every dame had a secret to hide.”
Examples
simple
“The detective reached for the roscoe hidden in his coat.”
contextual
“In the classic noir film, the gangster pulled a roscoe from his pocket and demanded the money.”
complex
“The pulp novelist filled his pages with period-accurate slang, ensuring every private eye carried a roscoe and every dame had a secret to hide.”
Usage
Archaic slang; primarily found in historical fiction or mid-century crime literature.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/roscoe