policeman

[puh-lees-muh n]

See more synonyms for policeman on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural po·lice·men.

a member of a police force or body.
Ice Hockey. enforcer(def 4).

Origin of policeman

First recorded in 1795–1805; police + -man

Related formspo·lice·man·like, adjective

Usage note

See -man.

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

Examples from the Web for policeman

Contemporary Examples

Even before the shootings, New York policeman were telling the Mayor not to attend their funerals.
GOP Won’t Forgive Rand for Cop Critique
Lloyd Green
December 23, 2014
Police say Myers charged at the policeman, they wrestled, and then he shot at least three bullets before his gun jammed.
The 14 Teens Killed by Cops Since Michael Brown
Nina Strochlic
November 25, 2014
Our Pashto interpreter explained how he had pretended to be a Pakistani policeman when interested crowds approached the compound.
I Shot Bin Laden
Elliot Ackerman
November 16, 2014
The policeman then commandeers the dashcammed car and orders the driver to chase down the perp.
Russian Dashcam Car Chase
Alex Chancey, The Daily Beast Video
October 9, 2014
And when a policeman rises to the top, you take care of your old buddies by turning a blind eye to their businesses.
Hong Kong’s Triads Attack Protestors
Ben Leung
October 4, 2014

Historical Examples

He was stopped by a policeman, who demanded, "Whose bag is that, Johnny?"
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
A policeman told me that he lived on this street, and that his name is Calkins.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
I would dismiss every policeman at once, with thanks, if I were you.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
I am not sure that Policeman Duffer would have recognized him.
Ester Ried Yet Speaking
Isabella Alden
The whole air of him, though he was in civilian's clothes, proclaimed the policeman.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana

British Dictionary definitions for policeman

policeman

feminine policewoman

noun plural -men or -women

a member of a police force, esp one holding the rank of constableGender-neutral form: police officer

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 policeman

n.

1790, from police (n.) + man (n.).

policeman in Medicine

policeman

(pə-lēs′mən)

An instrument, usually a rubber-tipped rod, for removing solid particles from a glass container.

policeman

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}policeman

Usage note

Examples from the Web for policeman

Contemporary Examples

Even before the shootings, New York policeman were telling the Mayor not to attend their funerals.

Police say Myers charged at the policeman, they wrestled, and then he shot at least three bullets before his gun jammed.

Our Pashto interpreter explained how he had pretended to be a Pakistani policeman when interested crowds approached the compound.

The policeman then commandeers the dashcammed car and orders the driver to chase down the perp.

And when a policeman rises to the top, you take care of your old buddies by turning a blind eye to their businesses.

Historical Examples

He was stopped by a policeman, who demanded, "Whose bag is that, Johnny?"

A policeman told me that he lived on this street, and that his name is Calkins.

I would dismiss every policeman at once, with thanks, if I were you.

I am not sure that Policeman Duffer would have recognized him.

The whole air of him, though he was in civilian's clothes, proclaimed the policeman.

policeman

feminine policewoman

Word Origin and History for policeman

n.

policeman

Origin of policeman