"perp walk" means: The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
perp walk
(chiefly, US, idiomatic, law enforcement) The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · no dated citations yetDefinitions
(chiefly, US, idiomatic, law enforcement) The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the effectiveness of the authorities, or shaming the person.
... as well-dressed masters of the universe did the ritualized perp walk with their expensive Armani suit jackets draped over their handcuffs.
"perp walk" means: The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of.... This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"perp walk" means: The intentional public display before news cameras of a person in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of.... Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. Note the regional or dialect label (US) — usage may sound odd outside that variety. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable
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Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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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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Related terms
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Semantically related
- walkabout64%
(British) A public stroll by some celebrity to meet a group of people informally.
- walk of shame63%
(informal) A walk through public spaces in the public eye, to a place of refuge, while in a state of undress.
- jaywalk61%
(chiefly, US, legal, automotive, transitive, intransitive) To behave as a jaywalker; to violate pedestrian traffic regulations by crossing a street away from a designated crossing or to walk in the part of the street intended for vehicles rather than on the sidewalk.
- walk of shame60%
(Internet slang, informal) A tacit or symbolic acknowledgement of defeat or acquiescence when confronted by a First Amendment auditor.
- Jericho walk59%
(US, Christianity) A form of protest in which people walk seven times around a significant location.