Meaning & use
WPC
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Meanings
abbreviationcountableBritishold-fashioned
Short for woman police constable, the lowest rank of police officer in Britain, held by a woman.
Grammar: Used as a title before a name: WPC Jones.
Patterns
- WPC + surname
WPC Harris took the witness statement.
The crime novel featured a young WPC on her first case.
A WPC arrived at the scene within minutes.
abbreviationcountable or uncountabletechnical
Short for wood-plastic composite, a building material made of wood fibre and plastic, used for decking and fencing.
Grammar: Often before a noun: WPC decking.
Patterns
- WPC decking
We chose WPC decking because it needs little maintenance.
WPC is resistant to rot and insects.
Word forms
| plural | WPCs |
|---|
Common combinations
- WPC Jones
- WPC Jones asked us to stay behind the tape.
- a young WPC
- A young WPC helped the lost child.
- WPC decking
- WPC decking resists rot and mold.
- become a WPC
- She became a WPC in the 1970s.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: WPC or PC?
WPC vs PC
PC can mean police constable, personal computer or politically correct. WPC specifically means a woman police constable.
Practice
In British police stories set in the 1970s, a female officer of the lowest rank was usually called a ___.
Choose one answer.
WPC stood for woman police constable. PC was used for men, DI for detective inspector, and CID is a department, not a rank.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “WPC”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.