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   Po·lice

   /pəˈlēs/

   

   noun

   • 1. the civil force of a national or local government, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order: "when someone is killed, the police have to be informed"
   • ▪ members of a police force: "there are fewer women police than men"
   • ▪ an organization engaged in the enforcement of official regulations in a specified domain: "transit police"

   verb

   • 1. (of a police force) have the duty of maintaining law and order in or for (an area or event). Similar maintain law and order inkeep the peace inkeep guard overkeep watch onwatch overguardprotectdefendpatrolmake the rounds ofcontrolkeep in orderkeep under controlregulate
   • ▪ enforce regulations or an agreement in (a particular area or domain): "a UN resolution to use military force to police the no-fly zone" Similar maintain law and order inkeep the peace inkeep guard overkeep watch onwatch overguardprotectdefendpatrolmake the rounds of
   • ▪ enforce the provisions of (a law, agreement, or treaty): "the regulations will be policed by factory inspectors" Similar enforceregulateimplementoverseecheck (up on)supervisemonitorobservewatch

   Word Origin late 15th century (in the sense ‘public order’): from French, from medieval Latin politia ‘citizenship, government’ (see policy1). Current senses date from the early 19th century.

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • P

     3

   • O

     1

   • L

     1

   • I

     1

   • C

     3

   • E

     1

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