polis

plural poleis · plural polises

1. historicalA Greek city-state.

   By the end of the century, poleis had been established throughout the Hellenic world, all bearing a marked family resemblance.

   2006, Karen Armstrong, The Great Transformation, Atlantic Books 2007, page 161

plural polises · alternative pollis

1. GeordieIrelandScotlanduncountableThe police.

   Even in his Ma's womb, you would have had to define Spud less as a foetus, more as a set of dormant drug and personality problems. He'd probably draw the polis onto them through knocking a saltcellar out of the Little Chef.

   1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 328

   1 more example

   'Oh, don't bring in the polis on me, kind gentleman,' implored Mrs Laffey with redoubled fluency; 'the dirty, thievin' sergeant that set the lie against me a short while back over Mister Johnson's sthrayin' pullets, it's little justice I should ever see. Be the good kind gentleman—'

   1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries

2. GeordieIrelandScotlandcountableA police officer.

1. A town and municipality of Paphos district, Cyprus; in full, Polis Chrysochous.
2. A surname.

   Jared Polis of Boulder is the first openly gay man elected to Congress as a non-incumbent.

   2009 August 10, Associated Press, “Colo. delegation votes party lines on hate crime”, in KXRM, www.coloradoconnection.com

   2 more examples

   Don't even think about the odds that Bobby Schmautz of Vancouver Canucks would score the winning goal or that Greg Polis of Pittsburgh Penguins would win the car.

   1973 January 31, Ken Fathers, “Schmautz Gets Winner, Polis The Car”, in The Windsor Star, page 33

   Carol Polis, who figures she's the world's only lady boxing judge, is having the time of her life— but two things bother her a bit.

   1973 May 2, Associated Press, “Carol Polis loves judging those bouts”, in Sarasota Herald-Tribune, page 3C