sha·mus

(shä′məs, shā′-)

n. Slang

1. A police officer.

2. A private investigator.

[Perhaps from the common Irish name Séamus, James (from the many Irish Americans who traditionally served on American police forces ), or from shammes (the duties of a detective being likened to those of a shamash ).]

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.

shamus

(ˈʃɑːməs; ˈʃeɪ-)

n, pl -muses

slang US a police or private detective

[probably from shammes, influenced by Irish Séamas James]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

sha•mus

(ˈʃɑ məs, ˈʃeɪ-)

n., pl. -mus•es. Slang.

1. a private detective.

2. a police officer.

[1925–30; of obscure orig.]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

shamus - someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information

private detective, private eye, private investigator, sherlock, operative, PI

detective - an investigator engaged or employed in obtaining information not easily available to the public

hotel detective, house detective - a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store

inquiry agent - a private detective

store detective - a private detective employed by a merchant to stop pilferage

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

"We're so proud of the support we've gotten from our readers and our donors," editor-in-chief Shamus Toomey told me.

Feder: Block Club Chicago snaps up neighborhood news fans

They include photos of current and past performers, as well as quotes from Shamus Dickinson (Veranda L'Ni), Dottie Comma, Cece Noir, Howard Kolodny (Samantha Echo), and Bella Sin about who they are offstage and what motivates them to perform burlesque.

Rust Belt Burlesque: The Softer Side of a Heavy Metal Town

The MOU was signed by Registrar, MAJU, Muhammad Kashif Khan and Regional Director, Allied Group of Schools, Sindh and Baluchistan region, Naveed Shamus. According to MOU, the students of Allied and EFA group schools who will pass matriculation examination will receive 25 % discount at the time of admission at MAJU, no matter from which college they have completed their intermediate.

President, MAJU asked to issue license for teachers community

"Seattle embraced ACE last year, and we are extremely excited to return with an incredible lineup of stars," says Stephen Shamus, ACE Universe President.

Chris Evans, Josh Brolin, Zoe Saldana, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Lee Pace, & Taron Egerton Headline Ace Comic Con's Return to Seattle

Looking dapper Dawn Prisic of Dumfries sent in this picture of 12-year-old Shamus in a festive tie

Santa Paws; Your pets go all festive

Advisor for information Shamus Mir said the GB government had fixed its targets in education, health, waste management, endowment fund and skill development after forming the government.

Health delivery system considerably improved in GB: Barkat Jamil

Shamus Moore, registrar on the Weatherford campus, said students can enroll at the Registrar's Office on either the Weatherford or Sayre campuses.

SWOSU spring classes begin Jan. 7

In the 1946 film The Big Sleep, based on the Raymond Chandler mystery of the same name, Carmen--the promiscuous, drug-addicted younger sister of Lauren BacalPs character--sizes up Philip Marlowe, played by Humphrey Bogart, and asks him, "What are you, a prizefighter?" Bogart responds, "No, I'm a shamus.': "What's a shamus?" she inquires.

Light It Again, Sam

Carmela's ex-husband Shamus rides by the duo on his float at the head of the parade, when suddenly the revelry turns to disaster.

Glitter Bomb

After founding the apparel company Belong Designs straight out of college, best friends Ben Thomson, Shamus McNutt and Mark Grubbs noticed business owners peppering them with questions about their startup.

Go With the Flow: HOW THREE ENGINEERS LEARNED FROM THEIR APPAREL BRAND TO CREATE A MARKETING POWERHOUSE

Shamus Hussain asked for a specific officer he'd had dealings with previously to attend at his home in Moorside Road, Dewsbury.

'Come and get me if you've got the balls' man allegedly taunted police

Shamus Hodgson, MD of Moneybarn, said: "Our analysis has revealed some interesting and surprising results, with low pass rates for areas like Bedfordshire and the West Midlands not necessarily being what you'd typically expect.

Brum one of toughest places in country to pass your driving test; CITY'S 61 PER CENT FAILURE RATE