gendarme

gen·darme

G0075700 (zhän′därm′, zhäN′därm′)n.1. A member of the French national police organization constituting a branch of the armed forces with responsibility for general law enforcement.2. Slang A police officer.3. A subsidiary pinnacle on a steep mountain ridge.

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[French, from Old French gent d'armes, gendarme, sing. of gens d'armes, mounted soldiers, men-at-arms : gens, people, men (from Latin gentēs, pl. of gēns, clan; see genə- in Indo-European roots) + de, of (from Latin dē; see de-) + armes, pl. of arme, weapon; see arm².]

gendarme

(ˈʒɒndɑːm; French ʒɑ̃darm) n1. (Military) a member of the police force in France or in countries formerly influenced or controlled by France2. (Law) a slang word for a policeman3. (Geological Science) a sharp pinnacle of rock on a mountain ridge, esp in the Alps[C16: from French, from gens d'armes people of arms]

gen•darme

(ˈʒɑn dɑrm; Fr. ʒɑ̃ˈdarm)

n., pl. -darmes (-dɑrmz; Fr. -ˈdarm) 1. a police officer in any of several European countries, esp. in France. 2. a soldier, esp. in France, serving in an army group acting as armed police with authority over civilians. [1540–50; < Middle French, earlier gens d'armes, alter. of gent d'armes people at arms]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

gendarme - a French policeman gendarmerie, gendarmery - French police force; a group of gendarmes or gendarmes collectivelypolice officer, policeman, officer - a member of a police force; "it was an accident, officer"

gendarme

nounSlang. A member of a law-enforcement agency:bluecoat, finest, officer, patrolman, patrolwoman, peace officer, police, policeman, police officer, policewoman.Informal: cop, law.Slang: bull, copper, flatfoot, fuzz, heat, man (often uppercase).Chiefly British: bobby, constable, peeler.

Translations

gendarme