Gun Moll

By Deane Barker • •

Definition: the female companion of a male criminal

Keisha, in New Jack City. She had a tendency to shoot people.

A “moll” is a girlfriend or prostitute of a male criminal. Various etymologies state that it’s a shorthand for “Mary” or “Molly,” which was also used to indicate a prostitute.

To be a “gun moll” specifically implies a level of active participation in crime.

Why I Looked It Up

In a description of the characters in New Jack City:

His gang consists of his best friend, Gee Money; enforcer Duh Duh Duh Man; gun moll Keisha; Nino’s girlfriend, Selina; and her tech-savvy cousin, Kareem.

I had seen the term once before describing Christina Hendricks performance in a review of the film Drive:

Disappearing lithely into an extended cameo as a skanky gun moll […]

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