prowl car
American dated slang for a police patrol car — the vehicle used by officers to cruise their assigned territory watching for criminal activity.
Definitions
American dated slang for a police patrol car — the vehicle used by officers to cruise their assigned territory watching for criminal activity. The name captures the slow, predatory movement of a police car surveilling a neighbourhood. It is now largely obsolete, replaced by 'patrol car' or 'squad car'.
A prowl car slowed down as it passed the group, the officer inside scanning the street.
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(US, dated, slang) A police patrol car.
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Semantically related
- crime car72%
British police slang for a patrol car — specifically the fast-response vehicles used by traffic police or rapid response units. Less commonly known than 'squad car' (the American equivalent); primarily used within British police culture rather than by the general public.
- squad car70%
The standard American term for a police patrol car — the marked vehicle used by uniformed officers on regular patrol duties. 'Squad car' is so common in American English that it has passed from slang into standard vocabulary. Also used in Ireland. British English typically says 'police car' or 'panda car.'
- crime car69%
(chiefly, UK) A police patrol car.
- black and white66%
(US, slang, law enforcement) A police patrol car.