Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"Italian police" (plural), from Italian carabinieri, plural of carabiniere, from French carabinier (see carabineer).\n\n
Wiktionary
n. The national gendarmerie of Italy
WordNet
See carabiniere
Wikipedia
The Carabinieri (formally Arma dei Carabinieri, "Arm of Carabineers" or previously Corpo dei Carabinieri, "Corps of Carabiniers"; ) is the national gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations. It originally was founded as the police force of the Kingdom of Sardinia. During the process of Italian unification, it was appointed the "First Force" of the new national military organization. Although the Carabinieri assisted in the suppression of opposition during the rule of Benito Mussolini, they also were responsible for his downfall and many units were disbanded by Nazi Germany, which resulted in large numbers of Carabinieri joining the Italian resistance movement. Since 2001, it has been one of the four Italian Armed Forces.
Carabinieri is an Italian television series that aired on Canale 5 from March 2002 to July 30, 2008. The series is an action thriller with added elements of comedy, and has been compared to the soap opera format. It told the story of the military police ( Carabinieri ) barracks located in Città della Pieve.
Usage examples of "carabinieri".
There had been so many carabinieri on the move in the poorly lit back street that, unsure where to look precisely, they had missed their target altogether.
I would without doubt have let the kidnappers escape, because that was safest for Alessia, but one of the carabinieri, passing and catching sight of the blip, ran urgently towards the bull-like man who with blowing whistle appeared to be chiefly in charge, shouting to him above the clamor and pointing a stabbing finger towards the van.
I had realized from shortly after my first arrival at the villa that as officer-in-charge he had never before had to deal with a real kidnap, though he had carefully informed me that all carabinieri were instructed in the theory of kidnap response, owing to the regrettable frequency of that crime in Italy.
I could have described with certainty the number of windows in the block of apartments facing, the position of each of the carabinieri cars, the clothes of the television crew, the whereabouts of each civilian inside the police circle, even the profile of the nearest press photographer, who was hung with two cameras but not at that moment taking pictures.
Those people warned me all along that if I brought in the carabinieri they would do unspeakable things to Alessia, and I let you persuade me, and I should not have done, I should have paid the ransom at once when they first demanded it, and Alessia would have been free weeks ago.
Neither had been too happy about the carabinieri overhearing their every word on the telephone and I had to admit that their instincts had been right.
The carabinieri had been given the four raincoats so far collected from the restaurant, and the one from the airport and the one from the bus station.
I am sure the carabinieri would be pleased to be relieved of the responsibility of guarding so much money.
Four carabinieri crouched with guns behind the pair still parked, their bodies tense.
Pucinelli like all Italians liked children, and even carabinieri, I supposed, could be sentimental.
On the premise, however, that the law neither slumbered nor slept I put the call through straight away to the carabinieri, and was answered by a yawning Italian who spoke no English.
You e-mail the Carabinieri, the FBI, the CIA, the Gendarmes, any form of police you like, and all the computers will crash instantly.
Within minutes, the entire square would be overrun by carabinieri and cordoned off.
Best of the lot are the Carabinieri, paramilitary police of the central government.
Discreet enquiries between the Carabinieri and the Capo of Rome elicited a pledge that no Mafia killer would ever do a political killing except on orders, and the Mafia would not subscribe to killing a foreign statesman.