copper's nark

Thân thiện

A plainclothes copper's nark watches the meeting from a cafe table.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • An informer or spy working for the police: A person who secretly provides information to the police, often about criminal activities or the actions of others. The term is informal and carries a negative connotation, implying betrayal or underhandedness.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The gang discovered that one of their members was a copper's nark.
  • He was suspected of being a copper's nark after the police raid was so precise.

Advanced Usage

• "to turn nark": to become an informer for the police.
  • Facing a long sentence, he decided to turn nark to reduce his punishment.
• Used in historical/criminal contexts: The term is strongly associated with 19th and 20th-century British criminal slang and police culture.

Variants and Related Words

• Nark (noun): A shortened, more common form of "copper's nark," meaning an informer or police spy.
  • He's just a nark; don't tell him anything.
• Grass (noun, UK slang): A synonym for an informer.
• Snitch (noun, informal): A common synonym for an informer.

Synonyms

• Informer: A person who informs on another to the authorities.
• Stool pigeon: An informer, especially one who is a decoy or works with the police.
• Police informant: A more formal term for a person who gives information to the police.

Related Phrases

• To nark on someone (phrasal verb): To inform the police about someone's activities.
  • He narked on his former partners to get a deal.

Related Idioms

• To blow the whistle: To report illegal or unacceptable activities to the authorities. (Note: This is less pejorative than "copper's nark" and can be seen as a positive act.)
• To sell someone out: To betray someone, often for personal gain, which can include informing on them.

Học thuật

Noun

1. an informer or spy working for the police

Từ đồng nghĩa

• nark