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patrolman

[puh-trohl-muh n]
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noun, plural pa·trol·men.
  1. a police officer who is assigned to patrol a specific district, route, etc.
  2. a person who patrols.
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Origin of patrolman

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; patrol + -man

Usage note

See -man.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for patrolman

policewoman, constable, detective, cop, force, corps, bobby, badge, patrol, blue, bear, heat, officer, bluecoat, police, law, fed, gendarme, flatfoot, copper

Examples from the Web for patrolman

Contemporary Examples of patrolman

Historical Examples of patrolman

  • Finally the patrolman announced one morning that there was no other way out of it.

    Mayflower (Flor de mayo)

    Vicente Blasco Ibez

  • The patrolman says that he has seen no light in the house since the family sailed for Africa.

    The Lure of the Mask

    Harold MacGrath

  • There was no time now to seek out the patrolman on the post; the job must be all his.

    From Place to Place

    Irvin S. Cobb

  • During that time, he'd expected the sound of shots from the patrolman's gun.

    Ten From Infinity

    Paul W. Fairman

  • "Got some kid back in the tank, or somewhere," the patrolman said.

    Out Like a Light

    Gordon Randall Garrett

British Dictionary definitions for patrolman

patrolman

noun plural -men
  1. mainly US a man, esp a policeman, who patrols a certain area
  2. British a man employed to patrol an area to help motorists in difficulty
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for patrolman

n.

"police constable on a particular beat," 1841, from patrol (n.) + man (n.).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper