c.1530, at first essentially the same word as policy (1); from M.Fr. police (1477), from L. politia "civil administration," from Gk. polis "city" (see policy (1)). Still used in Eng. for "civil administration" until mid-19c.; application to "administration of public order" (1716) is from Fr., and originally referred to France or other foreign nations. The first force so-named in Eng. was the Marine Police, set up 1798 to protect merchandise at the Port of London. The verb "to keep order by means of police" is from 1841; policeman is from 1829. Police state "state regulated by means of national police" first recorded 1865, with ref. to Austria.

–adjective

1.	identical or consistent, as from example to example, place to place, or moment to moment: uniform spelling; a uniform building code.

2.	without variations in detail: uniform output; a uniform surface.

3.	constant; unvarying; undeviating: uniform kindness; uniform velocity.

4.	constituting part of a uniform: to be issued uniform shoes.

5.	Mathematics. occurring in a manner independent of some variable, parameter, function, etc.: a uniform bound.

–noun

6.	an identifying outfit or style of dress worn by the members of a given profession, organization, or rank.

7.	a word used in communications to represent the letter U.

–verb (used with object)

8.	to make uniform or standard.

9.	to clothe in or furnish with a uniform.