American slang for a customs officer or agent -- someone who works for US Customs inspecting goods and people entering the country. The 'C' stands for customs. The term is informal and typically used by people in import/export, shipping, or contexts involving customs scrutiny. It carries a slightly adversarial edge, as if the person using it is wary of being inspected or held up.
The C-man at the dock took one look at the crate and called for a full inspection.
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C-man is American slang for a customs officer — a person employed by US Customs to inspect goods and people entering the country and to prevent smuggling. The term uses the 'C' as an abbreviation for 'customs', following the common American slang pattern of reducing institutional titles to single-letter abbreviations (compare 'G-man' for FBI agent). It's informal, slightly old-fashioned in register, and most commonly found in mid-20th century American crime writing, film noir, and street slang.
The C-man at the port had a reputation for finding things people were certain they'd hidden well.
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(US, slang) A man who works for customs.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
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