How to pronounce gumshoe
American English pronunciation
GUM-shoo
- IPA
- /ˈɡʌmʃu/
- Syllables
- GUM · shoo (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
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What gumshoe means
A private detective, in old slang
In a sentence: The gumshoe followed the muddy footprints all the way to the barn.
Where it comes from: It comes from gumshoes, soft rubber overshoes, and has meant a detective since the early 1900s.
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