shamus
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˈʃeɪməs/
- Archaic
:
detective privado
- I had another investigator on Mr. Peterson's case, a shamus, called Seamus, if you can believe.
Examples
-
In "The Lord Is My Shamus," God sends Job back to Earth to do some detecting for him.
Blog text (19) -
The shamus is here.
-
Would you pay $ 200 for that, shamus?
-
- No, I'm a shamus.
-
"She looked around the office and said, "So this is what a real shamus's office looks like."
Fiction book (1992) -
A private eye, they're called, a shamus, a gumshoe.
-
You a shamus?
-
I'm a brother shamus.
-
Second-rate shamus gets eighty-sixed by a mysterious socialite.
-
The shamus uncovered crucial evidence that led to the suspect's arrest.
Synonyms
∞
2.7
A police officer who investigates crimes and finds out what happened
64
3.7
A person hired to find facts about crimes or private matters who is not a police officer
30
3.4
A person who is not a police officer and is paid to investigate crimes
24
4.2
A person hired to find out information for someone, often about crimes
13
3.7
A person hired to find missing people or information
1
6.5
A person hired by a hotel or store to watch for theft
A private detective hired to find information for people or businesses
Surface Forms
Etymology
Shamus probably comes from the Yiddish shammes, from Hebrew shamash meaning 'attendant' or 'helper'. That's why shamus became slang for a private detective — someone who 'serves' a client by finding information.