1
slang : police officer
2
slang : private investigator
Synonyms of shamus
Examples of shamus in a Sentence
a hard-bitten L.A. shamus who, when he's not battling crooks, is locking horns with his superiors he's a shamus who mostly finds evidence to use in divorce cases
Recent Examples on the Web
Harrison Ford’s Rick Deckard was one in a long line of LA shamuses tripped up by wealth and beauty, from Marlowe and Gittes to Rawlins and Bosch. —
Wired, 1 Nov. 2019 When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle. —Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Wired, 1 Nov. 2019 When the franchise was rejuvenated in 2000 with Samuel L. Jackson starring as the nephew of the famed shamus, Roundtree appeared as his uncle. —Chris Koseluk, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Shamus.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/shamus. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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