noun
gumshoe
GUHM-shoo
noun
1
A private detective (originally so called because rubber-soled shoes let them move quietly).
"The gumshoe followed the suspect for three blocks without being noticed."
2
A rubber overshoe or sneaker.
"He pulled a pair of gumshoes over his boots to cross the muddy yard."
verb
1
To work as a detective, especially by quietly trailing someone.
"She spent the summer gumshoeing for a downtown law firm."
How to Use Gumshoe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old slang word for a private detective, from the quiet rubber shoes they supposedly wore.
When to use it
Informal and a bit old-fashioned, mostly seen in noir fiction and crime films.
Word Forms
gumshoed past tense, gumshoes plural, gumshoes singular
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Etymology
From gum (rubber) + shoe — rubber-soled shoes were associated with detectives who could move about unheard.