beatsman en · NOUN
Etymology
From beat + -s- + -man.
Meanings
-
(dated, rare) A policeman who walks the beat.
Police authorities are similarly aware that motor cars and wireless and infra-red photography and photo-telegraphy will not avail in the crime war without the familiar, slow-moving beatsman as the broad base of the whole organisation.
1948, The Spectator, volume 180, page 730:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| beatsmen | Number=Plur | lexicographic |