police Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the force of policemen and officers
    law; police force; constabulary.
    • the law came looking for him
  2. verb maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol
    patrol.

WordNet

Po*lice" noun
Etymology
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.
Definitions
  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.
  2. That which concerns the order of the community; the internal regulation of a state.
  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.
  4. (Mil.) Military police, the body of soldiers detailed to preserve civil order and attend to sanitary arrangements in a camp or garrison.
  5. The cleaning of a camp or garrison, or the state a camp as to cleanliness.
Po*lice" transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Policed ; present participle & verbal noun Policing
Definitions
  1. To keep in order by police.
  2. (Mil.) To make clean; as, to police a camp.

Webster 1913