noun
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a man, esp a policeman, who patrols a certain area
-
a man employed to patrol an area to help motorists in difficulty
Gender
See -man.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of patrolman
Explanation
A patrolman is another name for a police officer. Most patrolmen keep an eye on a certain area while walking or driving around it. The word patrolman is a bit old fashioned, since it's really only appropriate for a man — you can call a female officer a "patrolwoman," but it's simpler to just call them both police officers. Patrolman was first used in the 1840s to distinguish British constables who walked a beat, patrolling a specific neighborhood or region on foot. Patrol comes from the French patrouille, "a night watch."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
“Are you allowed to go into that?” she asked a patrolman.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Asked how he’d like to be remembered, Wambaugh summed it up with the no-nonsense crispness of a patrolman handing out a speeding ticket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 28, 2025
A 27-year-old patrolman when he was shot, Patterson was later promoted to detective.
From Seattle Times ● May 1, 2023
Philip, then a New York City patrolman, kept close watch over his boys as they grew.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 17, 2022
He pointed at the small shopping bag that the patrolman had placed on the table.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Chava Cartas directs this crime drama based on Héctor de Mauleón’s account, focusing on the decisions faced by the patrolmen when threatened by the criminal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
The patrolmen are equipped with rifles and handguns, to be used as a last resort against angry polar bears and musk ox.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
County Sheriff’s Department have done the heavy lifting – keeping control with helicopters, hundreds of patrolmen on foot and hundreds of patrol cars.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2025
Two California Highway patrolmen stood about 20 feet away, talking to each other as traffic crawled along.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2024
As they walked away escorted by border patrolmen, Lupita overheard an older woman complain.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
