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Synonyms for shamus

Grammar : Noun
Spell : shah-muh s, shey-
Phonetic Transcription : ˈʃɑ məs, ˈʃeɪ-

Top 10 synonyms for shamus
Other synonyms for the word shamus

Définition of shamus

Origin :
  • "police officer, detective," 1920, apparently first in "The Shamus," a detective story published that year by Harry J. Loose (1880-1943), a Chicago police detective and crime writer; the book was marketed as "a true tale of thiefdom and an expose of the real system in crime." The word is said to be probably from Yiddish shames, literally "sexton of a synagogue" ("a potent personage only next in influence to the President" [Israel Zangwill]), from Hebrew shamash "servant;" influenced by Celtic Seamus "James," as a typical name for an Irish cop.
  • As in detective : noun investigator of crime
Example sentences :
  • And he asked Shamus, but he pretended he was ill—Oh, he was very unwell!
  • Extract from : « Angling Sketches » by Andrew Lang
  • The recitation of "Shamus O'Brien" seemed tame by comparison.
  • Extract from : « A Pirate of Parts » by Richard Neville
  • "You do not badly for a beginner," said he when Shamus had finished.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • Then Shamus began to walk slowly away, and the Queen followed.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • Shamus told her the story of his wanderings and produced the goblet.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • So Shamus took his harp and began to play his song of running water.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • "Good," said Shamus, and away he went to seek the King of the Gnomes.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • Then Shamus began to play, softly at first and then louder and louder.
  • Extract from : « The Cat in Grandfather's House » by Carl Henry Grabo
  • The effect was ludicrous; Shamus came in on the run to have a ball extracted from his back!
  • Extract from : « Buffalo Land » by W. E. Webb
  • The fire was getting low, when Sachem rose to his feet and called to Shamus.
  • Extract from : « Buffalo Land » by W. E. Webb
Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019