house detective
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A private detective employed by a hotel or retail store: A security professional hired directly by a business, such as a hotel or large shop, to prevent theft, investigate internal incidents, and ensure the safety of guests, customers, and property. This person is not a public police officer but works specifically for that establishment.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The hotel manager called the house detective to investigate the missing jewelry.
- Store security alerted the house detective after noticing suspicious behavior at the perfume counter.
Advanced Usage
- The role of a house detective often involves both plainclothes surveillance and uniformed presence to deter crime.
- While historically common in large hotels and department stores, the term is sometimes used interchangeably with modern titles like loss prevention officer or in-house security investigator.
Variants and Related Words
- House detective is a compound noun. The word detective alone refers to any investigator, especially one who solves crimes.
- Security guard (n): A person employed to protect property and people, but this role may not involve investigative duties.
- Loss prevention agent (n): A modern term, especially in retail, for a professional who works to prevent theft and investigate losses.
Synonyms
- Hotel detective
- Store detective
- Private investigator (a more general term for a privately-employed detective)
Related Phrases
- In-house security: Refers to a security team employed directly by an organization, as opposed to a contracted service. A house detective is a member of the in-house security staff.
- Plainclothes officer: A security or police officer who wears ordinary clothes instead of a uniform. A house detective typically works in plainclothes.
Noun
- a private detective employed by a hotel or retail store