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Pinkerton

[ping-ker-tuhn]

Origin

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noun

Allan, 1819–84, U.S. detective, born in Scotland.

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins

World English Dictionary

Pinkerton (ˈpɪŋkətən)

—n
	Allan. 1819--84, US private detective, born in Scotland. He founded the first detective agency in the US (1850) and organized an intelligence system for the Federal States of America (1861)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

Pinkerton

"semi-official detective," 1888, from the detective agency begun in U.S. 1850 by Allan Pinkerton.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Pinkerton

Pink·er·ton