Definition

1. Noun:
   • A police car used for patrolling streets: A vehicle used by police officers to monitor and travel through areas within a jurisdiction, typically equipped with communication devices to contact a central station.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The officer returned to the patrol car to file a report.
  • A patrol car was parked outside the bank as a deterrent.
  • The suspect fled before the patrol car could arrive.

Advanced Usage

• "marked patrol car": A police vehicle with visible official decals, lights, and paint schemes.
  • The marked patrol car is used for high-visibility policing.
• "unmarked patrol car": A police vehicle without obvious identifiers, used for covert surveillance.
  • The detectives arrived in an unmarked patrol car.

Variants and Related Words

• Squad car (n): Another common term for a patrol car.
  • The suspect was placed in the back of the squad car.
• Cruiser (n): A more informal term for a patrol car, emphasizing its use for "cruising" or driving through an area.
  • The police cruiser turned on its siren.

Synonyms

• Police car: The most direct synonym.
• Police vehicle: A more formal term that can include vans or trucks.

Related Phrases

• To be in a patrol car: To be inside or using the vehicle.
  • Officers spend many hours in a patrol car during their shift.
• Patrol car unit: Refers to the vehicle and its assigned officers as a functional team.
  • The patrol car unit responded to the 911 call.

Noun

1. a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters