C-man
American slang for a customs officer or agent -- someone who works for US Customs inspecting goods and people entering the country.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1930 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
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.
Comments
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.
Comments
(US, slang) A man who works for customs.
Comments
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "C-man".
🗺️About Regional & Other slang
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.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "C-man" (C)
Browse all slang words starting with C.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- candy man59%
(chiefly, US, euphemistic, slang) A drug dealer.
- candyman56%
(slang) A male drug dealer.
- J-man56%
A casual, irreverent nickname for Jesus Christ, used in informal or humorous contexts by people who want to reference the religious figure without full formality. It's the kind of term that turns up in self-deprecating jokes, exclamations of surprise, or conversations where someone wants to invoke Jesus in a laid-back, non-devotional way. Not meant as blasphemy by most users — more of a breezy shorthand. Devout Christians may find it disrespectful.