plainclothesman

American  

[pleyn-klohz-muhn, -man, -klohthz-] / ˈpleɪnˈkloʊz mən, -ˌmæn, -ˈkloʊðz- /

Or plainclothes man

noun

plural

plainclothesmen

1. a police officer, especially a detective, who wears ordinary civilian clothes while on duty.

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Etymology

Origin of plainclothesman

First recorded in 1925–30; plain clothes + man

Example Sentences

MVD plainclothesman rushed the Burmese soldier to try to stop the picture.

From Time Magazine Archive

If ever a screen character was ripe for self-parody, Eastwood's tough plainclothesman is, and he makes the most of his opportunity.

From Time Magazine Archive

Voroshilov made a second attempt to join his old comrades through a side door of the Mausoleum and was ejected by a plainclothesman.

From Time Magazine Archive

To Chan's surprise, the plainclothesman made him a sort of protege�a riddle that was solved six months later when the Red army captured Canton and the cop was revealed as an underground Communist.

From Time Magazine Archive

“How come they don’t get a plainclothesman after women like that?”

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole