holdup man
/'houldʌp'mæn/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- An armed robber, especially one who commits a holdup: A "holdup man" is a person, typically male, who uses a weapon to threaten victims in order to steal from them, often in a direct confrontation such as a street mugging or a robbery of a business.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The police are searching for the holdup man who robbed the convenience store last night.
- Witnesses described the holdup man as wearing a black mask and carrying a pistol.
Advanced Usage
- The term is somewhat dated and specific, often associated with mid-20th-century crime reporting. It emphasizes the confrontational, "hold-up" nature of the robbery where the criminal directly commands victims to comply.
- It is typically used in journalistic or narrative contexts rather than formal legal language.
Variants and Related Words
- Holdup (n): The robbery event itself.
- The bank holdup was over in minutes.
- Robber (n): A more general term for a person who steals.
- Mugger (n): A person who attacks and robs someone in a public place (often without specifying a gun).
- Stickup man (n): A very close synonym for "holdup man."
Synonyms
- Armed robber
- Stickup artist (informal)
- Bandit (can be broader, sometimes not necessarily armed)
Related Phrases
- To pull/put a holdup: To commit an armed robbery.
- The gang planned to pull a holdup on the armored truck.
Noun
- an armed thief