Scotland Yard

proper noun

The headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force.

Meanings

proper noun
  1. UKThe headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force.

    I, for my part, drew up as full a précis of the case as I deemed advisable, and as time permitted, which I despatched by one of the company’s police to Scotland Yard.

    1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle

    Synonyms: New Scotland Yard

  2. metonymicallyThe police in London.

Synonyms & antonyms

proper nounThe headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe detective department of the metropolitan police force of London

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From the address, originally at Great Scotland Yard off Whitehall, then at New Scotland Yard on the Embankment, and (currently) at New Scotland Yard in Westminster.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic سْكُوتْلَانْد يَارْد
  • سْكُوتْلَانْد يَارْد (skūtlānd yārd)headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Chinese Mandarin 蘇格蘭場 /苏格兰场
  • 蘇格蘭場 /苏格兰场 (Sūgélán Chǎng)headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Finnish Scotland Yard
  • Scotland Yardheadquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
French Scotland Yard
  • Scotland Yardheadquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
German Scotland Yard
  • Scotland Yardheadquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Greek Σκότλαντ Γιαρντ
  • Σκότλαντ Γιαρντ (Skótlant Giarnt)headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Japanese スコットランドヤード
  • スコットランドヤード (Sukottorando Yādo)headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Russian Ско́тланд-Ярд
  • Ско́тланд-Ярд (Skótland-Jard)headquarters of the Criminal Investigation Department of the London Metropolitan Police Force
Cite this entry
APA

Scotland Yard. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scotland%20Yard

MLA

“Scotland Yard.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scotland%20Yard. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Scotland Yard,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Scotland%20Yard.

Source: Scotland Yard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.