squad car
40
2.7
- noun
- /skwɑd kɑr/
- US
:
coche patrulla
- During the patrol, they radioed for assistance from another squad car nearby.
- officers in squad cars
- police squad cars
- patrolling in squad cars
No, there's a squad car out front.
- No, there's a squad car out front.
Examples
-
Five minutes later, two sheriff's squad cars screeched to a stop in front of his yard.
Fiction book (1995) -
The Blakelys sat in the back of one of the squad cars while a polite officer asked them questions.
Fiction book (1996) -
Now get me a squad car and get me over there!
-
Finally they got him in the back of a squad car.
-
I want eight squad cars and three men outside right away.
-
A squad car's on the way over there right now.
-
There are five squad cars on the way to you right now.
Fiction book (1995) -
Sergeant, I want you to have 10 men and two squad cars downstairs in five minutes.
-
The policeman helps her into the back of his squad car and slams the door.
Fiction book (1995) -
A burly policeman, Warrant Officer van Vuuren, stopped his squad car and rushed into the melee.
Fiction book (1996)
Synonyms
90
1.0
A car used by police to patrol streets and respond to emergencies
45
2.8
A police car that drives around an area to watch for crime
32
3.2
A police car that patrols streets
9
3.0
A car that police officers use for patrolling, often with lights and a siren
A police car that drives around streets to watch for trouble
How Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a car used by police officers' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'squad' (a small purpose-driven unit) with 'car' (a vehicle), indicating the vehicle belonging to or used by that unit. This noun-compound pattern is common and predictable across languages and contexts, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Squad car comes from the word squad, meaning a small team of police, and car, meaning a vehicle. Imagine a small team of officers riding together in one vehicle while on patrol, so it means 'a police car used for patrol'.