treated as pl.(一般作the police)
1- the civil force of a state, responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and the maintenance of public order警察部队, 警察, 警方。
1.1
- members of a police force警察：
there are fewer women police than men.
女警察比男警察要少。
1.2
- with adj. or noun modifier an organization engaged in the enforcement of official regulations in a specified domain警察部门, 警察机构：
transport police.
交通警察。
with obj.［often as noun policing］
1- (of a police force) have the duty of maintaining law and order in or for (an area or event)（警察部队）在（某地区或事件中）维护治安。
1.1
- enforce regulations or an agreement in (a particular area or domain)在（某地区或领域）监督执行（规定或协约）：
a UN resolution to use military force to police the no-fly zone.
使用武装力量监督执行禁飞区的联合国决议。
1.2
- enforce the provisions of (a law, agreement, or treaty)执行（法律, 协议, 条约）：
the regulations will be policed by factory inspectors.
这些规定将由厂监来执行。
词源
late 15th cent. （in the sense 'public order'）： from French, from medieval Latin politia 'citizenship, government' （see POLICY1）. Current senses date from the early 19th cent.