ENGLISH
REFERENCE

smokey

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈsmoʊki// UK //smˈəʊki// smokey Slang

n. a police officer, especially a highway patrol officer. This is a very casual word used mainly in the United States.

n. a police officer, specifically a state trooper or highway patrol officer. Informal in register and primarily associated with North American automotive culture.


SIMPLE

Slow down because there might be a smokey hiding behind that bridge.

CONTEXTUAL

Truck drivers used to warn each other about a smokey on the road using their CB radios.

COMPLEX

The classic film features a high-speed chase where the protagonist constantly evades a persistent smokey across several state lines.

Usage

Often used with the definite article ('the smokey') or in the plural ('smokeys').

Pitfall

The smokey arrested the thief in the house.The police arrested the thief in the house.Smokey specifically refers to highway patrol or state troopers; it is not a general term for all police officers in all contexts.

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