Meanings
plural holsters
- A case for carrying a tool, particularly a gun, safely and accessibly.
Marion Wheeler took the seat, brushing the hem of her suit jacket aside to reveal a concealed holster. "You do know I carry a gun?"
2023 October 22, HarryBlank, “Waiting to Happen”, in SCP Foundation, archived from the original on 23 May 20241 more example
Goring, like himself, had sprang forwards, first snatching a pistol from his holsters, and discharging it at him who seemed to be the chief of the party,—the man reeled and fell; but his fall was instantly avenged.
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter V, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume III, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 35 - A belt with loops or slots for carrying small tools or other equipment.
present singular third person holsters · participle present holstering · participle past holstered · past holstered
- To put something in a holster.
Then she sorted herself out, making sure her pickaxe and shovel were properly holstered to her.
2025, Angel Luis Colón, Minecraft: House of Horrors, page 68
Origin
- Proto-Germanic*hulastrą
- Old Saxon*holster
- Middle Low Germanholster
- Dutchholster“pistol-case, holster”
- Englishholster
From Dutch holster (“pistol-case, holster”), from Middle Low German holster, from Old Saxon *holster, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hulastrą, *hulistrą (“hull, case, covering”). Cognate with Old English heolstor (“a covering, veil, hiding-place”), Danish hylster (“pistol case, envelope”), Icelandic hulstur (“sheath”), Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 (hulistr, “covering”). Compare German Halfter (“pistol case”). Related to hull, hele.
More words from Dutch, Middle Low German, Old Saxon
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic قِرابُ الْمُسَدَّسِ
- قِرابُ الْمُسَدَّسِ (qirābu l-musaddasi)case for carrying a gun
Bulgarian кобу́р
- кобу́р (kobúr)case for carrying a gun
Chinese Mandarin 皮套, 皮囊
- 皮套 (pítào)case for carrying a gun
- 皮囊 (pínáng)case for carrying a gun
- 槍套 /枪套 (qiāngtào)case for carrying a gun
Czech pouzdro
- pouzdrocase for carrying a gun
Danish hylster
- hylstercase for carrying a gun
Dutch holster
- holstercase for carrying a gun
Finnish kotelo, työkaluvyö
- kotelocase for carrying a gun
- työkaluvyöbelt with loops or slots
French holster, étui
- holstercase for carrying a gun
- étuicase for carrying a gun
German Holster, Halfter
- Holstercase for carrying a gun
- Halftercase for carrying a gun
- Pistolentaschecase for carrying a gun
Hungarian pisztolytáska
- pisztolytáskacase for carrying a gun
Italian fondina, cintura per attrezzi
- fondinacase for carrying a gun
- cintura per attrezzibelt with loops or slots
Japanese ホルスター
- ホルスター (horusutā)case for carrying a gun
Korean 홀스터
- 홀스터 (holseuteo)case for carrying a gun
Norwegian Bokmål hylster
- hylstercase for carrying a gun
Polish kabura
- kaburacase for carrying a gun
Portuguese coldre
- coldrecase for carrying a gun
Russian кобура́
- кобура́ (koburá)case for carrying a gun
Slovak puzdro
- puzdrocase for carrying a gun
Spanish pistolera, tahalí
- pistoleracase for carrying a gun
- tahalíbelt with loops or slots
- talabartebelt with loops or slots
- briricúbelt with loops or slots
- bridecúbelt with loops or slots
- tiracuellobelt with loops or slots
- tiracolbelt with loops or slots
Swedish hölster
- hölstercase for carrying a gun
Tagalog bayna
- baynacase for carrying a gun
Turkish kubur, tabanca kılıfı
- kuburcase for carrying a gun
- tabanca kılıfıcase for carrying a gun
Ukrainian кобура́
- кобура́ (koburá)case for carrying a gun
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
holster. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holster
“holster.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holster. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “holster,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/holster.
Source: holster on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.