gunsel

Etymology 1
From, from , diminutive of.

Noun

 * : a young man kept by an elder as a (usually passive) homosexual partner.
 * 1) * 1929,, , [p. http://books.google.com/books?id=1uVajyyVaVkC&pg=RA1-PA13 13]:
 * The boy’s eyes ran over Spade’s body from shoulders to knees  “Another thing,” Spade repeated, glaring at the boy: “Keep that gunsel away from me while you’re making up your mind. I’ll kill him ”
 * : a passive partner in a male homosexual relationship.
 * : a man forced or coerced into a homosexual relationship.

Synonyms

 * See Thesaurus:male homosexual

Etymology 2
By misunderstanding of the 1929 Maltese Falcon quotation above (which survived in a popular 1941 film adaptation). The novel was originally serialized in a magazine, , whose editor refused to allow vulgarities. Hammett used the word knowing that the editor would likely misunderstand it as relating to, and therefore allow it.

Noun

 * 1) A gun-carrying hoodlum or other criminal.