Pinkerton

//ˈpɪŋkətən// name, noun

name, noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An operative employed by the Pinkerton National Detective Agency founded by Allan Pinkerton (1819–1884). countable, dated

    "My heart wells up in admiration of the man, as I think of his participation in the memorable struggle of Homestead. He fought the Pinkertons, the myrmidons of Capital."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A habitational surname from Old English.

Example

More examples

"My heart wells up in admiration of the man, as I think of his participation in the memorable struggle of Homestead. He fought the Pinkertons, the myrmidons of Capital."

Etymology

Habitational surname from a place near Dunbar, from an unexplained first element + Old English tūn (“enclosure”). This surname is well established in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Related phrases

Pinkerton syndrome

More for "pinkerton"

SynonymsSentencesPronunciationTranslate

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciationBrowse writing guides

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.