patrolman

noun

pa·​trol·​man pə-ˈtrōl-mən How to pronounce patrolman (audio)
: one who patrols
especially : a police officer assigned to a beat

Examples of patrolman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The patrolmen were brought to Grapevine’s Lucas Funeral Home. Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Feb. 2024 The three men spoke about payoffs in virtually every precinct, with patrolmen, sergeants, and higher-ups sharing money from merchants and mobsters, handed over to avoid arrests and for other favors. Robert D. McFadden, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Sep. 2023 On this second body camera angle, a few days after the derailment, there is no answer at many of the doors the patrolman knocks on. Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 22 Sep. 2023 The three former officers are Shana Cottone, who was a sergeant, and patrolmen Joseph Abasciano and Michael Geary. Danny McDonald, BostonGlobe.com, 14 Mar. 2023 The first person Myers saw at the rally was one of the patrolmen who responded to the synagogue shooting. Sabrina Souza, CNN, 13 Oct. 2023 An off-duty highway patrolman in Houston shot a neighbor through a closed door yesterday, thinking the man might have been an intruder. Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 26 Sep. 2023 Just one officer, John Donnelly, a Woburn patrolman who helped organize the deadly Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., has been permanently decertified. Hanna Krueger, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Sep. 2023 And the officer responsible was the son of TV’s Dog the Bounty Hunter, on his first day as a certified patrolman. William Thornton | Wthornton@al.com, al, 17 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patrolman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of patrolman was in 1867

Dictionary Entries Near patrolman

Cite this Entry

“Patrolman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patrolman. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

patrolman

noun
pa·​trol·​man pə-ˈtrōl-mən How to pronounce patrolman (audio)
: a police officer who has a regular beat

More from Merriam-Webster on patrolman

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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