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Glite Dictionary
plainclotheswoman

plainclotheswoman

7.5
A woman police officer who wears ordinary clothes instead of a uniform while working
  • noun
  • /ˈpleɪnˌkloʊðzˌwʊmən/
translation icon : policía de paisano
  • The plainclotheswoman observed the suspect from across the crowded café.

Examples

  • Reporters mistook the plainclotheswoman for a bystander at the scene.

  • It was a plainclotheswoman who made the undercover arrest last night.

  • The plainclotheswoman observed the suspect from a distance.

  • A plainclotheswoman was assigned to the undercover operation.

  • The plainclotheswoman quietly approached the suspect to gather more information without being noticed.

  • During the investigation, the plainclotheswoman blended in with the crowd to avoid drawing attention.

  • The plainclotheswoman was able to make the arrest because her casual attire did not reveal her identity as an officer.

Synonyms

plain clothes detective
vsplainclotheswoman
4.1

A police officer who wears ordinary clothes while working to avoid attention

is specifically female rather than a gender neutral term
plainclothes
vsplainclotheswoman
4.4

A police officer who wears ordinary clothes to avoid being recognized

is used for a female officer rather than a general term

Antonyms

uniformed
60 2.3

Wearing special clothes for work or official duty

Surface Forms

plainclotheswoman singular
plainclotheswomen plural

Morphology

plainclotheswoman = plainclothes + woman (transparent) = plain + clothes + woman

The compound is clearly built from 'plainclothes' (plain + clothes) + 'woman', meaning a woman who works in plain clothes.

Etymology

Plainclotheswoman comes from plain 'ordinary', clothes 'what you wear', and woman 'an adult female'. So a plainclotheswoman is a police officer who wears ordinary clothes to blend into the crowd instead of a uniform.