shamus

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See also: Shamus

English

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Etymology

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Said to be from the Irish name Séamus, on account of many American police officers being of Irish descent.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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shamus (plural shamuses)

  1. (US, slang) A private detective; originally, a policeman or police detective.
    • 1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing, chapter IV:
      “That's what you're here for. Didn't your aunt tell you? She wants you to follow Wilbert Cream and Phyllis about everywhere and see that he doesn't get a chance of proposing.”
      “You mean that I'm to be a sort of private eye or shamus, tailing them up? I don't like it,” I said dubiously.

Anagrams

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Ido

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Verb

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shamus

  1. conditional of shamar