<p><strong>Noun</strong></p><ul><li>Also called police force.</li><li>an organized civil force for maintaining order, preventing and detecting crime, and enforcing the laws.</li><li>(used with a plural verb) members of such a force: Several police are patrolling the neighborhood.</li><li>the regulation and control of a community, especially for the maintenance of public order, safety, health, morals, etc.</li><li>the department of the government concerned with this, especially with the maintenance of order.</li><li>any body of people officially maintained or employed to keep order, enforce regulations, etc.</li><li>people who seek to regulate a specified activity, practice, etc.: the language police.</li><li>Military: (in the U.S. Army) the cleaning and keeping clean of a camp, post, station, etc.</li><li>the condition of a camp, post, station, etc., with reference to cleanliness.</li></ul><p><strong>Verb</strong></p><ul><li>(used with object) policed, policing.</li><li>to regulate, control, or keep in order by or as if by means of police.</li><li>Military: to clean and keep clean (a camp, post, etc.).</li></ul>