The civil force of a state responsible for maintaining public order and enforcing the law, including preventing and detecting crime; (with plural…

The organized body of constables or peace officers of a country or specified district.

concrete. A body of police; the whole body of police on service in a town or district; often absol. the force = policemen collectively.

a (male) police officer; the police or forces of the law considered collectively; cf. sense 3.

U.S. slang. A uniformed police officer. Frequently in plural, with the: the police. Cf. buttons, n. 2b Now dated.

A policeman or detective (see also quot. 1931); frequently collective, the police.

colloquial (originally U.S.). A policeman, the police; a sheriff.

Chiefly Jamaican (esp. in the context of Rastafarianism). A contemptuous or dismissive term for: anything regarded as representing the degenerate…

The police. Also as a count noun: a police officer.

British colloquial (derogatory). With plural agreement. Usually with the. The police. Also occasionally as singular: a police officer.

slang (originally U.S.), in various interconnected senses, notably (a) a gun (? as an instrument of ‘heat’); cf. heater, n. 1b; (b) in to turn on (or…

The police-force; a policeman. Frequently preceded by the.

British slang. Frequently with the. The police force; police officers collectively. Cf. Bill, n.5

Chiefly Caribbean slang (derogatory). Usually with the. The police. Also: a police officer.

The emergency services (frequently the police).

With the and plural agreement: the police. Also as a count noun: a police officer.

With plural agreement. With the. The police. Also as a count noun: a police officer.