police boy

noun

A black policeman in colonial Africa or Melanesia, with authority over the locals but no authority over the colonists.

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Meanings

nounpolice boy (plural police boys)

plural police boys

  1. historicaloffensiveA black policeman in colonial Africa or Melanesia, with authority over the locals but no authority over the colonists.

Origin

From colonial usage of boy (“servant; adult male of color”).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: police boy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.