posse

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pos·se

(pŏs′ē)

1. A group of civilians called upon by a sheriff or other law enforcement official to assist temporarily in preserving the peace or pursuing and arresting a fugitive. Also called posse comitatus.

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 posse comitatus.]

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.

posse

(ˈpɒsɪ)

1. (Law) Also called: posse comitatus US 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

[C16: from Medieval Latin (n): power, strength, from Latin (vb): to be able, have power]

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

pos•se

(ˈpɒs i)

n.

1. a body of persons given legal authority to assist a peace officer esp. in an emergency.

2. a body of persons summoned for the purpose of making a search.

3. Slang. a group of friends or associates: a posse of drug dealers.

[1575–85; < Medieval Latin posse (comitātūs) power (of the county), n. use of Latin infinitive: to be able, have power; compare potent¹]

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.

posse

A group of citizens summoned by a sheriff to help in maintaining law and order.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

posse - a temporary police force

posse comitatus

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

policejní oddíl

eftersøgningshold

Aufgebot Polizeiaufgebot

galeri

liî lögreglumanna; leitarflokkur

drappello gruppo di uomini

policijos būrys

policistu vienība

letestyrke politistyrke

policajný oddiel

müfreze takım

一队

posse

[ˈpɒsɪ] N (esp US) → pelotón m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

posse

[ˈpɒsi] n (US) → détachement m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

posse

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

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

posse

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

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

posse

(ˈposi) noun

(especially American) a number of policemen who go out together to find a criminal etc.

Mentioned in ?

References in classic literature ?

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.

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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.

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"That will do me great honor," said the leader of the posse, "and I accept thankfully."

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They got a posse together, and went off to guard the river bank, and as soon as it is light the sheriff and a gang are going to beat up the woods.

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The fact is, boys, that sword-fish only began the job; he's come back again with a gang of ship-carpenters, saw-fish, and file-fish, and what not; and the whole posse of 'em are now hard at work cutting and slashing at the bottom; making improvements, I suppose.

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Traddles in posse, - presuming, that is to say, that my friend Mr.

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A good deal was said about sending for the sheriff; some hints were given about calling out the posse comitatus to avenge the insulted laws; and many of the citizens were collected, deliberating how to proceed.

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Taft's watchmen and a posse of constables, to help us at the right time.

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"It shall never be said, whilst I am bailiff of Southampton, that any waster, riever, draw-latch or murtherer came scathless away from me and my posse. Leave that rogue lying.

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They are the standing army, and the militia, jailers, constables, posse comitatus, etc.

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The spoken word had located him in the wild canyons of Sonoma Mountain and fringed the mountain with posses of peace-officers and detachments of armed farmers.

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It's the cause of much suffering, but it's a consolation to know I posses it, when I wake up in the night." Here another burst of feeling.