gumshoe

n.

1. A sneaker or rubber overshoe.
2. Slang. An investigator, especially a detective.

intr.v. Slang, -shoed, -shoe·ing, -shoes.

1. To work as a detective.
2. To move about stealthily; sneak.

(GUM-shoo)

noun
1. A detective.
2. A rubber overshoe.

Etymology
The word is an allusion to the quiet snooping that a detective is supposed to do. Wearing rubber shoes, one can move around without making much noise

The word is an example of the figure of speech called metonymy in which a part is used for the whole or vice versa. Another example is the use of the word crown to refer to a king.

Usage
"So far, the entertainment industry's approach to peer-to-peer file sharing has been to hire gumshoes to bang on teenagers' doors at midnight and haul them off to court -- an act akin to trying to beat back a tsunami with a tennis racquet." — Staunching a Tide of Piracy; Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); May 18, 2006.

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noun

A person whose work is investigating crimes or obtaining hidden evidence or information: detective, investigator, sleuth. Informal eye. Slang dick. See investigate.

verb

To move silently and furtively: creep, glide, lurk, mouse, prowl, pussyfoot, skulk, slide, slink, slip, snake, sneak, steal. See move/halt.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has 2 meanings:

Meaning #1: (informal) someone who is a detective
  Synonyms: dick, hawkshaw

Meaning #2: a waterproof overshoe that protects shoes from water or snow
  Synonyms: arctic, galosh, golosh, rubber

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - gummisko, tennissko, galoche, detektiv
v. intr. - luske rundt, liste rundt, snuse rundt

Nederlands (Dutch)
(rubberen) overschoen, detective, werken als detective

Français (French)
n. - détective privé, agent de police en civil
v. intr. - (US) agir furtivement

Deutsch (German)
n. - Detektiv, Galosche
v. - Detektiv spielen, schleichen

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γαλότσα, ιδιωτικός ντετέκτιβ
v. - περπατώ αθόρυβα

Italiano (Italian)
galoscia, investigatore

Português (Portuguese)
n. - galocha (f), sapatos (m pl) de tênis, detetive (m) (gír.)

Русский (Russian)
галоша

Español (Spanish)
n. - detective, investigador, zapatos de goma
v. intr. - trabajar como detective, caminar suavemente, como si se usaran zapatos de goma

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - gummisko, deckare (sl.), snut (sl.)
v. - gå tyst, spionera

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
套靴, 刑警, 胶底运动靴, 悄悄走, 侦察, 秘密行走

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 套靴, 刑警, 膠底運動靴
v. intr. - 悄悄走, 偵察, 秘密行走

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 고무 덧신, 형사
v. intr. - 몰래 걸어가다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ゴム底のズック靴, オーバーシューズ, 刑事

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) شرطي سري (فعل) يعمل كشرطي سري‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮נעל גומי, בלש‬
v. intr. - ‮התגנב בלאט‬

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