- an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.
- members of such a force: Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.
- the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.
- the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.
- any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.
- people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc.: the language police.
- Military. (in the U.S. Army)
- the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.
- the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.
- to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.
- to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.)
- the organized civil force of a state, concerned with maintenance of law and order, the detection and prevention of crime, etc
- (as modifier)
- the members of such a force collectively
- any organized body with a similar function
- archaic
- the regulation and control of a community, esp in regard to the enforcement of law, the prevention of crime, etc
- the department of government concerned with this
- to regulate, control, or keep in order by means of a police or similar force
- to observe or record the activity or enforcement of
- to make or keep (a military camp, etc) clean and orderly
