store detective
1
4.9
- noun
- /stɔr dɪˈtɛktɪv/
- UK
:
detective de tienda
- When the lights went out, the store detective quickly checked the aisles for suspicious behavior.
Examples
-
I imagined the scene at my house when my parents got the call from the store detective.
Fiction book (1996) -
The store detective comes running.
Fiction book (1999) -
I'm the store detective here.
-
"Well, at the moment I'm a store detective at Fentzer-Sweitzbach.
Fiction book (1991) -
The store detective quietly observed the customers to prevent any potential theft.
-
As a store detective, her job was to identify shoplifters and protect the store's inventory.
Synonyms
∞
2.7
A police officer who investigates crimes and finds out what happened
30
3.4
A person who is not a police officer and is paid to investigate crimes
1
6.5
A person hired by a hotel or store to watch for theft
How Senior
2
4.2
- Archaic
1
6.5
- UK
1
4.9
210
1.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly derivable from combining 'store' (shop) and 'detective' (investigator): a person who investigates or prevents theft in a shop. The occupational nuance (employed by the store and often undercover) is a predictable extension of the literal parts, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily understand it.
Etymology
Store detective comes from the simple image of a detective working inside a store, walking around in plain clothes and quietly watching customers to catch people who try to steal. So, it means 'a person hired by a shop to watch for and stop shoplifting, often working without being noticed'.