‖ gendarme
(ʒɑ̃darm, dʒɛnˈdɑːm)
Forms: 8 gens d'arm, 9 gendarme; pl. 6 gentzdarmes, (7 gend'arme), 9 gend'armes, 7–9 gens d'arm(e)s, gensdarmes, gendarmes.
[F. gendarme, a sing. formed from the pl. gens d'armes men of arms; hence a fresh pl. gendarmes. Some confusion between these forms is evident in English writers; in mod.Fr. the spelling gens d'armes is restricted to the historic sense.]
† 1. (Chiefly pl.) In the older French army, a horseman in full armour, having several others under his command; in later times, a mounted trooper, esp. of the royal companies. Obs. exc. Hist.
| c 1550 Disc. Common Weal Eng. (1893) 7 Whether gentz⁓darmes were necessarye here as in Fraunce. 1584 Hudson Du Bartas' Judith v. 538 We come not here, my Lord, said they, with armes, For to resist the chok of thy Gens d'armes. 1644 Evelyn Diary 12 Apr. (1879) I. 73, I took coach, to see a general muster of all the gens d'armes about y⊇ Citty [Paris]. 1670 Cotton Espernon ii. vii. 340 The man of the house..was one of the Gend'arme [margin, Or Cuirassiers] of the King's own Troop. 1688 Lond. Gaz. No. 2375/3 The Gendarmes and Light Horse that formed the Camp of Acheres, and were returning to their Quarters, are countermanded. 1755 Mem. Capt. P. Drake II. i. 4 This I would by no Means suffer, assuring him that I could bear Fire and Water at least as well as he, or I was not fit to be a Gens d'Arm. 1864 Burton Scot Abr. I. i. 48 The Scots Guard consisted of one hundred gensdarmes and two hundred archers. |
2. a. A soldier, either mounted or on foot (F. gendarme à cheval, ― à pied), who is employed in police duties, esp. in France.
| 1796 Hel. M. Williams Lett. France (ed. 2) I. vii. 88, I proceeded on my journey haunted by the images of gens d'armes. 1815 Scott Paul's Lett. (1839) 266 The patroles of the modern gens d'armes, or military police. 1833 Marryat P. Simple (1863) 148 At this delightful town, we had unlimited parole, not even a gendarme accompanying us. 1880 Ouida Moths II. 220 A few gendarmes had been sent to protect the fair during the night. |
b. fig. (See quots.)
| 1883 Sat. Rev. 17 Feb. 208/2 One of those projecting pieces of rock which are called gendarmes; apparently from their frequently stopping travellers. 1895 Westm. Gaz. 13 Sept. 3/2 The formidable-looking ridge, bristling with innumerable ‘gendarmes’ or rock-towers..was inspected. |
c. A policeman. slang.
| 1906 H. Green At Actors' Boarding House 204 She'll be cabling the old guy to set the gendarmes on us as we leave the boat. 1931 H. Crane Let. 30 Mar. 367, I am to sail to Mexico (damn the gendarmes!) next Saturday. |
3. attrib. in gendarme blue, a colour like that of a French gendarme's uniform; also absol.
| 1884 Girl's Own Paper Jan. 200/2 That shade of blue called ‘Gendarme’. 1891 Daily News 23 Mar. 2/2 One of these [bodices], in gendarme blue, has a vest of cornflower blue. 1895 Ibid. 20 Mar. 7/1 A new shade, suggesting gendarme and cornflower, but not precisely either. |
Hence genˈdarming vbl. n. (nonce-wd.), the discharge of police duties.
| 1890 Sat. Rev. 13 Sept. 314/1 The German gendarmes should do their gendarming with more gentleness. |