Derringer

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈdɛɹɪndÊ’É™(ɹ)/

Origin

Named after gunsmith Henry Deringer Junior.

Full definition of derringer

Noun

1. A type of very small, concealable pistol with one or two barrels, but without any loading system or magazine.

Usage notes

The spelling and capitalisation of the word has varied since the pistols were first designed, with Deringer being the original usage. In the late 1850s, misspellings added a double R to the name, Derringer, which remained capitalised. Lower case versions of both spellings were in use soon after. The fifth edition Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in 1937 lists the now common spelling of derringer with lower case D and a single R.