gum•shoe
Pronunciation: (gum'sh"), [key]
— n., v., -shoed, -shoe•ing.
—n.
- a detective.
- a shoe made of gum elastic or India rubber; rubber overshoe.
- sneaker (def. 1).
—v.i.
-
- to work as a detective.
- to go softly, as if wearing rubber shoes; move or act snoopily or stealthily.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.