po|lice

po|lice «puh LEES», nv., -liced, -lic|ing.

–n.

1. persons whose duty is keeping order and arresting people who break the law: »

It is the function of the police to be on the watch for antisocial conduct and to apprehend the offender as soon as possible (Emory S. Bogardus).

SYNONYM(S): constabulary, gendarmery.

2. the department of a government that keeps order and arrests persons who break the law.

3. regulation and control of a community, especially with reference to matters of public order, safety, health, and morals; public order.

4. a) the act of cleaning and keeping in order an area, such as a military camp. b) the soldiers detailed to do this.

–v.t.

1. to keep order in: »

to police the streets, to police the seas.

2. Figurative. to control, regulate, or administer (a law, operation, program, industry, (or association) to discover or prevent the breaking of a law, rule, or agreement: »

... authority to police prescription-drug advertising (Wall Street Journal).

3. to keep clean and in order: »

to police an army camp, to police a hospital kitchen.

4. Obsolete. to regulate (a state or country).

╂[< Middle French police, learned borrowing from Medieval Latin politia the state, settled order of government < Late Latin polītīa. See etym. of doublets policy¹ (Cf. ↑policy), polity. (Cf. ↑polity)]