Word
smokey
US/ˈsmoʊki/
UK/smˈəʊki/
Definition
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.
Examples
“Slow down because there might be a smokey hiding behind that bridge.”
“Truck drivers used to warn each other about a smokey on the road using their CB radios.”
“The classic film features a high-speed chase where the protagonist constantly evades a persistent smokey across several state lines.”
Examples
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.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/smokey