Definition of SHAMUS

shamus

Plural: shami, shamuses

Noun

  • A private detective, often a slang term.
  • someone who can be employed as a detective to collect information
  • A private detective; originally, a policeman or police detective.

Examples

  • He felt like a SHAMUS, investigating every possible tile placement on the Scrabble board.

Origin / Etymology

Said to be from the Irish name Séamus, on account of many American police officers being of Irish descent.

Synonyms

operative, PI, private detective, private eye, private investigator, sherlock

Scrabble Score: 11

shamus: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
shamus: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
shamus: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

shamus: valid Words With Friends Word