"Cohen found that the term “shyster,” slang for someone who acts in an unscrupulous way, was first used in 1843 by a crooked lawyer disparaging his rivals as incompetents. That’s what the word meant in British criminal slang, where it appeared as “shiser.” The lawyer used the term...
Define shyster. shyster synonyms, shyster pronunciation, shyster translation, English dictionary definition of shyster. n. Slang An unethical, unscrupulous practitioner, especially of law. shy′ster·ism n. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English