shamus
[ shah-muhs, shey- ]
/ ˈʃɑ məs, ˈʃeɪ- /
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noun, plural sha·mus·es.Slang.
a detective.
a police officer.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of shamus
1925–30; of obscure origin, though popularly derived from either Yiddish shamesshammes or the Irish male given name Séamas
Words nearby shamus
shamoy, shampoo, shamrock, shamrock-pea, shamshir, shamus, Shan, Shandong, shandrydan, shandy, shandygaff
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for shamus
British Dictionary definitions for shamus
shamus
/ (ˈʃɑːməs, ˈʃeɪ-) /
noun plural -muses
US slang a police or private detective
Word Origin for shamus
probably from shammes, influenced by Irish Séamas James
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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