gendarme Hear it!

gendarme definition

gen·darme (z̸hän därm′, z̸hän′därm′; Fr z̸hän dȧrm′)

noun pl. gendarmes -·darmes′ (-därmz′; Fr, -dȧrm′)

  1. Historical a French cavalryman commanding a squad
  2. in France, Belgium, etc.,
    1. a soldier serving as an armed policeman
    2. a police officer; esp., a French police officer
  3. any policeman: a humorous usage

Etymology: Fr < gens d'armes, men-at-arms < L gens, gens + de, of + arma, arms

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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