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police

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Police is defined as members of law enforcement, or people vested with the power to make or enforce rules in a certain area or on a certain topic.

(noun)

The cops who gives you a speeding ticket or arrest murderers are an example of police.
People who are judgmental about fashion and make fun of those who don't comply with the current styles are an example of the fashion police.

Police means to enforce the rules, or to enforce law and order.

(verb)

When you patrol an area to make sure that the laws are being followed, this is an example of when you police the area.

See police in Webster's New World College Dictionary

noun

Archaic the regulation within a community of morals, safety, sanitation, etc.; public order; law enforcement
the governmental department (of a city, state, etc.) organized for keeping order, enforcing the law, and preventing, detecting, and prosecuting crimes
1. a governmental force, or body of persons, established and maintained for keeping order, etc.
2. a private organization like this: security police at a college
3. the members of any such force
4. Informal those who act as self-appointed guardians of morality, propriety, style, etc.: usually somewhat disparaging: the fashion police, the language police
☆ U.S. Army
1. the work or duty of keeping a camp, post, etc. clean and orderly
2. the soldiers charged with such duty: kitchen police

Origin: Fr < LL politia, administration of the commonwealth (in L, the state) < Gr politeia, the state, citizenship < politēs, citizen < polis, city < IE *pel-, fortress (> Sans pūr, town), orig., filled wall, special use of base *pel-, to flow, fill > full

transitive verb policed, policing

to control, protect, or keep orderly with or as police or a similar force: to police the streets
☆ to make or keep (a military camp, post, etc.) clean and orderly: often with up

See police in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun pl. police

The governmental department charged with the regulation and control of the affairs of a community, now chiefly the department established to maintain order, enforce the law, and prevent and detect crime.
a. A body of persons making up such a department, trained in methods of law enforcement and crime prevention and detection and authorized to maintain the peace, safety, and order of the community.
b. A body of persons having similar organization and function: campus police. Also called police force.
(used with a pl. verb) Police officers considered as a group.
Regulation and control of the affairs of a community, especially with respect to maintenance of order, law, health, morals, safety, and other matters affecting the public welfare.
Informal A group that admonishes, cautions, or reminds: grammar police; fashion police.
a. The cleaning of a military base or other military area: Police of the barracks must be completed before inspection.
b. The soldiers assigned to a specified maintenance duty.

transitive verb po·liced, po·lic·ing, po·lic·es

To regulate, control, or keep in order with or as if with a law enforcement agency.
To make (a military area, for example) neat in appearance: policed the barracks.

Origin:

Origin: French

Origin: , from Old French policie, civil organization

Origin: , from Late Latin polītīa

Origin: , from Latin, the State

Origin: , from Greek polīteia

Origin: , from polītēs, citizen

Origin: , from polis, city; see pelə-³ in Indo-European roots

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