posse
Use Posse in a sentence
i Origin:
1575–85; < Medieval Latin posse power, force, noun use of L infinitive: to be able, have power, equivalent to pot- (see potent) + -se infinitive suffix
1575–85; < Medieval Latin posse power, force, noun use of L infinitive: to be able, have power, equivalent to pot- (see potent) + -se infinitive suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To Posse
Collins
World English Dictionary
posse (ˈpɒsɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | (US) Also called: posse comitatus the able-bodied men of a district assembled together and forming a group upon whom the sheriff may call for assistance in maintaining law and order |
| 2. | law possibility (esp in the phrase in posse) |
| 3. | slang a Jamaican street gang in the US |
| 4. | informal a group of friends or associates |
| [C16: from Medieval Latin (n): power, strength, from Latin (vb): to be able, have power] | |
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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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Posse
is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
posse
1645 (in Anglo-L. from 1314), shortening of posse comitatus "the force of the country" (1626, in Anglo-L. from 1285), from M.L. posse "body of men, power," from L. posse "have power, be able" + comitatus "of the country," gen. of L.L. word for "court palace." Modern slang meaning "small gang" is probably
from Western movies.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
posse definition[ˈpɑsi]
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
Meanwhile, a posse of petrels and albatrosses keep swooping past my head.
The power is in the surprising effects that come from receiving thousands of pings from your posse.
The house being built for a hermit has enough space to entertain a large posse.
The salvagers claim the posse wanted to extract money because the barge was in their waters.
Nearby Words
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