noun
roscoe
noun
1
Slang for a handgun, especially a revolver.
"In the old gangster film, the detective pulled out his roscoe before kicking down the door."
How to Use Roscoe
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOld-fashioned slang for a gun, mostly associated with 1930s-40s crime films and pulp novels.
When to use it
Dated slang — you'll mostly see it in vintage crime fiction rather than everyday speech.
Word Forms
roscoes plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “roscoe”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
In the old gangster film, the detective pulled out his _____ before kicking down the door.
Etymology
Origin unclear; it appears to come from the personal name Roscoe and was popular in early 20th-century American slang, especially in crime fiction.