rap sheet
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A police record listing a person's arrests and criminal charges: A "rap sheet" is an official document maintained by law enforcement agencies that chronologically details an individual's history of arrests, criminal charges, and often the outcomes of those cases.
Usage
A "rap sheet" is a colloquial term, primarily used in American English, for a person's criminal record. It is most commonly used in informal contexts, journalism, and legal discussions.
Examples
- The prosecutor reviewed the suspect's extensive rap sheet before deciding to pursue stricter charges.
- Getting a job can be difficult if you have a rap sheet.
- His rap sheet showed arrests for petty theft and vandalism.
Advanced Usage
- "To have a rap sheet a mile long": An idiom meaning to have a very long and serious criminal record.
- The career criminal had a rap sheet a mile long.
Variants and Related Words
- Criminal record (noun): The formal term for a documented history of a person's criminal convictions.
- Police record (noun): A broader term that can include a rap sheet but also other interactions with police.
Synonyms
- Criminal record
- Police record
- Docket (in a specific legal sense)
- Criminal history
Related Phrases
- Clean rap sheet: Having no criminal record.
- Fortunately, he had a clean rap sheet, which helped his application.
- To run someone's rap sheet: Law enforcement jargon for checking a person's criminal history.
- The officer ran his rap sheet during the traffic stop.
Noun
- the daily written record of events (as arrests) in a police station