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Ge·sta·po

(gə-stäpō, -shtä-)

1. The German internal security police as organized under the Nazi regime, known for its terrorist methods directed against those suspected of treason or questionable loyalty.

2. gestapo pl. ge·sta·pos A police organization that employs terroristic methods to control a populace.

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of the German security police organized under the Nazi regime.

2. gestapo Of, relating to, or characteristic of terroristic police methods or operations: gestapo tactics.

[German Ge(heime) Sta(ats)po(lizei), secret state police : geheim, secret + Staat, state + Polizei, police.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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