police

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See also Police, poliçe, and policé

Contents

English [edit]

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Wikipedia

Etymology [edit]

From Middle French police, from Latin politia (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πολιτεία (politeia).

Pronunciation [edit]

Wikipedia has an article on:

Wikipedia

Noun [edit]

police (uncountable)

  1. A civil force granted the legal authority to enforce the law and maintain public order. [from 18th c.]
    • Call the police!
    • The police operating in New York City operate under the New York City Police Department, several other City agencies and boards, and several public authorities.
  2. (regional, chiefly US, Caribbean, Scotland) A police officer. [from 19th c.]
    • 2006, David Simon, Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets[1], ISBN 0805080759, page 440:
      This time it is the worst kind of call a murder police can get.
  3. (obsolete) Policy. [15th-19th c.]
  4. (obsolete) Communal living; civilization. [16th-19th c.]
  5. (now rare, historical) The regulation of a given community or society; administration, law and order etc. [from 17th c.]
    • 2002, Colin Jones, The Greta Nation, Penguin 2003, p. 218:
      The notion of ‘police’ – that is, rational administration – was seen as a historical force which could bring civilized improvement to societies.

Synonyms [edit]

Derived terms [edit]

Related terms [edit]

Translations [edit]

an organisation that enforces the law
member of the police force

Verb [edit]

police (third-person singular simple present polices, present participle policing, simple past and past participle policed)

  1. (transitive) To enforce the law and keep order among (a group).
    Extra security was hired to police the crowd at the big game.
    • 2012 May 24, Nathan Rabin, “Film: Reviews: Men In Black 3”, The Onion AV Club:
      Smith returns in Men In Black 3 as a veteran agent of a secret organization dedicated to policing the earth’s many extraterrestrials.
  2. (transitive) To patrol an area.
    • 2006, Robert B. Parker, Hundred-Dollar Baby, Putnam, ISBN 0399153764, page 275,
      "Fire off several rounds in a residential building and stop to police the brass?"

See also [edit]

Czech [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

police f

  1. shelf (structure)

Derived terms [edit]

French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From Latin politia (“state, government”), from Ancient Greek πόλις (polis, “city”).

Pronunciation [edit]

Noun [edit]

police f (plural polices)

  1. police
    Fuyez, la police arrive !
    Run, the police are coming!
  2. (typography) fount, font
  3. (Quebec) cop (police officer)

Related terms [edit]

See also [edit]

Verb [edit]

police

  1. first-person singular present indicative of policer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of policer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of policer
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of policer
  5. second-person singular imperative of policer

Anagrams [edit]

Jèrriais [edit]

Etymology [edit]

EB1911 - Volume 01 - Page 001 - 1.svg This entry lacks etymological information. If you are familiar with the origin of this term, please add it to the page as described here.

Noun [edit]

police f (usually uncountable)

  1. police

Serbo-Croatian [edit]

Noun [edit]

police f

  1. Plural form of polica
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