A protective case or sheath, usually worn on a belt, designed to hold a gun or other weapon securely and allow quick access.
From Middle Dutch 'hulster,' related to 'hulen' meaning 'to conceal or hide.' The word traveled through Dutch, German, and into English by the 17th century, referring to gun cases specifically.
The holster is so iconic in Western culture that it shaped how gunfighters were portrayed in movies and legend—the 'quick draw' from a holster became a symbol of the Old West, though actual historical gunfights were often messier and less dramatic.
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