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posse

   Also found in: Legal, Acronyms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
pos·se  (ps)
n.
1. A group of people summoned by a sheriff to aid in law enforcement.
2. A search party.
3. A gang involved in crimes such as running guns and illegal narcotics trafficking.
4. Slang A group of friends or associates.

[Short for Medieval Latin posse comitts : Medieval Latin posse, power, body of men (from Latin, to be able; see potent) + comitts, genitive of comittus, county.]

posse [ˈpɒsɪ]
n
1. (Law) US short for posse comitatus, the able-bodied men of a district assembled together and forming a group upon whom the sheriff may call for assistance in maintaining law and order
2. (Law) Law possibility (esp in the phrase in posse)
3. Slang a Jamaican street gang in the US
4. Informal a group of friends or associates
[from Medieval Latin (n): power, strength, from Latin (vb): to be able, have power]

Posse a company or force with legal authority; a strong band of persons, animals, etc.
Examples: posse of articles (literary), 1728; of constables, 1753; of enthusiasts; of hell, 1645; of mechanisation, 1797; of silent people, 1872; of policemen, 1884; of the rabble, 1678; of ranters; of sheriffs; of cock turkeys, 1841; of silly women.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.posse - a temporary police force
constabulary, police, police force, law - the force of policemen and officers; "the law came looking for him"
posseman - an able-bodied man serving as a member of a posse
Translations
posse [ˈpɒsɪ] N (esp US) → pelotón m

posse [ˈpɒsi] n (US)détachement m

posse
n (US: = sheriff’s posse) → Aufgebot nt; (fig)Gruppe f, → Schar f; (of youths, criminals) → Gang f, → Bande f; posse of searchersSuchtrupp m

posse [ˈpɒsɪ] n (Am) → gruppo armato di volontari

posse
n posse [ˈposi]
(especially American) a number of policemen who go out together to find a criminal etc. bende, kommando جماعَة من الشُرْطَه يَخرجون مَعاً للبَحث عن المُجْرِم полицейски отряд policejní oddíl eftersøgningshold das (Polizei-)Aufgebot αστυνομικό απόσπασμα pelotón, patrulla salk, jõuk گروه مسلح etsintäpartio détachement (de policiers) פְּלוּגָת שוֹטרִים दल, टुकडी़ potjera,skupina dobrovoljaca különítmény seregu polisi lið lögreglumanna; leitarflokkur squadra, pattuglia 一隊 무장대, 경관대 policijos būrys policistu vienība sekumpulan polis politiemacht politistyrke; letestyrke oddział, grupa pościgowa patrulha grup de poliţişti отряд полицейских policajný oddiel policijski odred potera polisuppbåd กองกำลังตำรวจ takım, müfreze (警察)一隊 поліцейський загін پولس کا دستہ đội cảnh sát


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In order to cast an odium upon the power of calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, it has been remarked that there is nowhere any provision in the proposed Constitution for calling out the POSSE COMITATUS, to assist the magistrate in the execution of his duty, whence it has been inferred, that military force was intended to be his only auxiliary.
He knew that in either case a posse of citizens with a pack of bloodhounds would soon be on his track and his chance of escape was very slender; but he did not wish to assist in his own pursuit.
The leader of the posse would perhaps have doubted the sincerity of D'Artagnan if the wine had been bad; but the wine was good, and he was convinced.
 
 
 
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