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shamus

[ shah-muhs, shey- ]
/ ˈʃɑ məs, ˈʃeɪ- /
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noun, plural sha·mus·es.Slang.
a detective.
a police officer.
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Origin of shamus

1925–30; of obscure origin, though popularly derived from either Yiddish shamesshammes or the Irish male given name Séamas
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shamus in a sentence

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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