From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Police \Po*lice"\, n. [F., fr. L. politia the condition of a
state, government, administration, Gr. ?, fr. ? to be a
citizen, to govern or administer a state, fr. ? citizen, fr.
? city; akin to Skr. pur, puri. Cf. {Policy} polity,
{Polity}.]
1. A judicial and executive system, for the government of a
city, town, or district, for the preservation of rights,
order, cleanliness, health, etc., and for the enforcement
of the laws and prevention of crime; the administration of
the laws and regulations of a city, incorporated town, or
borough.
[1913 Webster]
2. That which concerns the order of the community; the
internal regulation of a state.
[1913 Webster]
3. The organized body of civil officers in a city, town, or
district, whose particular duties are the preservation of
good order, the prevention and detection of crime, and the
enforcement of the laws.
[1913 Webster]
4. (Mil.) Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to
preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements
in a camp or garrison.
[1913 Webster]
5. The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state ? a camp
as to cleanliness.
[1913 Webster]
{Police commissioner}, a civil officer, usually one of a
board, commissioned to regulate and control the
appointment, duties, and discipline of the police.
{Police constable}, or {Police officer}, a policeman.
{Police court}, a minor court to try persons brought before
it by the police.
{Police inspector}, an officer of police ranking next below a
superintendent.
{Police jury}, a body of officers who collectively exercise
jurisdiction in certain cases of police, as levying taxes,
etc.; -- so called in Louisiana. --Bouvier.
{Police justice}, or {Police magistrate}, a judge of a police
court.
{Police offenses} (Law), minor offenses against the order of
the community, of which a police court may have final
jurisdiction.
{Police station}, the headquarters of the police, or of a
section of them; the place where the police assemble for
orders, and to which they take arrested persons.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
police officer
n 1: a member of a police force; "it was an accident, officer"
[syn: {policeman}, {police officer}, {officer}]
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