US slang
: police
Flashing lights in the rearview mirror. It's the po-po!Judy Tan
A youth football coach managed to avoid prison for 13 years due to a clerical error until the po-po finally came a knocking.Jimi-Izrael
I am a police officer in the Bronx, where kids sometimes call the cops "po-po."Marcus Laffey

Word History

Etymology

by reduplication of po, from initial syllable of police entry 1

First Known Use

1994, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of po-po was in 1994

Dictionary Entries Near po-po

Cite this Entry

“Po-po.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/po-po. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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