peace officer

Also found in: Thesaurus, Legal, Wikipedia.

peace officer

A law enforcement officer, such as a sheriff, who is responsible for maintaining civil peace.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

peace′ of`ficer

a civil officer appointed to preserve the public peace, as a sheriff or constable.

[1705–15]

peace officer

A person whose job is to enforce the law and keep the peace, such as a sheriff.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun

peace officer - an officer of the law

law officer, lawman

defender, guardian, protector, shielder - a person who cares for persons or property

attorney general - the chief law officer of a country or state

border patrolman - someone who patrols the borders of a country

constable - a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

deputy, deputy sheriff - someone authorized to exercise the powers of sheriff in emergencies

flatfoot, patrolman - a policeman who patrols a given region

gaoler, jailer, jailor, prison guard, screw, turnkey - someone who guards prisoners

police lieutenant, lieutenant - an officer in a police force

marshal, marshall - a law officer having duties similar to those of a sheriff in carrying out the judgments of a court of law

military policeman, MP - a member of the military police who polices soldiers and guards prisoners

narc, narcotics agent, nark - a lawman concerned with narcotics violations

police officer, policeman, officer - a member of a police force; "it was an accident, officer"

police sergeant, sergeant - a lawman with the rank of sergeant

sheriff - the principal law-enforcement officer in a county

solicitor general - a law officer appointed to assist an attorney general

Ranger, Texas Ranger - a member of the Texas state highway patrol; formerly a mounted lawman who maintained order on the frontier

warden - the chief official in charge of a prison

warder - a person who works in a prison and is in charge of prisoners

peace officer

noun

A member of a law-enforcement agency:

bluecoat, finest, officer, patrolman, patrolwoman, police, policeman, police officer, policewoman.

Informal: cop, law.

Slang: bull, copper, flatfoot, fuzz, gendarme, heat, man (often uppercase).

Chiefly British: bobby, constable, peeler.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

“I demand entrance into this house,” said Hiram, summoning all the dignity he could muster to his assistance, “in the name of the people; and by virtue of this war rant, and of my office, and with this peace officer.”

View in context

'Snodgrass,' he said, stopping suddenly, 'do not let me be balked in this matter--do not give information to the local authorities--do not obtain the assistance of several peace officers, to take either me or Doctor Slammer, of the 97th Regiment, at present quartered in Chatham Barracks, into custody, and thus prevent this duel!--I say, do not.'

View in context

This time it was the dreaded peace officers of the I.L.W.

View in context

In Christian County court the following day, she was charged with the aggravated battery of Officer Nathan Smith, whom Beaman bit on the arm, knowing him to be a peace officer engaged in execution of his official duties, states the complaint.

Nokomis woman charged after fracas at Pana store

The youth insisted that until their colleague, who had been arrested and was in detention in the police vehicle, was released, they (youth) would also not release the peace officer they had in their custody.

Village Gang Disarms Policeman ...tie him to a tree and subject him to severe beatings

The court upheld the defendant's conviction of first-degree driving while impaired, rejecting his argument that his arrest by an officer of the Red Lake Police Department was unlawful because that officer was not a "peace officer" under Minn.

Court: Tribal police may arrest non-tribe member

Under the law, a search warrant is an order in writing issued by a judge that orders a peace officer to search a property and bring it before the court.

SC to judges: No politics in issuance of search warrants

Boller ruled that the agent had the powers of a peace officer, but the traffic stop was not legal because the agent "was not acting pursuant to his special duties or within his geographical area of employment."

Charges dropped over improper traffic stop

The marshal program creates a new kind of peace officer

Texas schools that want to arm their employees have two choices

This comes two months after she pleaded not guilty of battery on a peace officer in a separate incident.

Heather Locklear arrested for attacking a cop

I am a retired peace officer. I have been certified to own and operate hand guns since 197.

Biegler: Thoughts on gun control from a retired peace officer

After hours of investigating, police arrested 49-year-old Russell Lawrence Ziemba with assaulting a peace officer and trespassing, the report said