Dictionary

polis en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• pŏʹlĭs
• pōʹlĭs
• /ˈpɒ.lɪs/
• /ˈpoʊ.lɪs/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *tpelH- Proto-Hellenic *ptólis Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis)lbor. English polis Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek πόλις (pólis, “fortified town; city state”). Doublet of Puri and puri

Meanings

1. (historical) A 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:

Forms

Relateds

-polis

Translations (21)

hu városállam (a city or city-state) · ja 都市 (a city or city-state) · nl polis (a city or city-state) · ja 都市国家 (a city or city-state) · ca polis (a city or city-state) · fr polis (a city or city-state) · pt pólis (a city or city-state) · ka პოლისი (a city or city-state) · ja ポリス (a city or city-state) · cs polis (a city or city-state) · bg полис (a city or city-state) · fi polis (a city or city-state) · el Πόλις-κράτος (a city or city-state) · it polis (a city or city-state) · ja 市国 (a city or city-state) · es polis (a city or city-state) · de Polis (a city or city-state) · pl polis (a city or city-state) · fi kaupunkivaltio (a city or city-state) · ka ქალაქ-სახელმწიფო (a city or city-state) · cmn 城邦 (a city or city-state)

polis en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• pŏʹlĭs
• pōʹlĭs
• /ˈpɒ.lɪs/
• /ˈpoʊ.lɪs/

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots polis. Doublet of police, policy, and polity.

Meanings

1. (Geordie, Ireland, Scotland, uncountable) The police.
   • '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:
   • 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:
2. (Geordie, Ireland, Scotland, countable) A police officer.

Forms