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# narc

noun (a narc, narcs); verb (narc, narcs, narced, narcing) — slang

«narc» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (slang, US) A police officer who works to stop illegal drugs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#m1)
2. (slang) A person who tells on others to a teacher, parent or the police; a snitch or tell-tale. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#m2)
3. (slang) To tell on someone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#m3)
4. (slang) Short for «narcissist», a very selfish, vain person. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#m4)

### In the lessons

This word is street and playground slang, not used in school writing. Children may hear «don't be a narc» meaning «don't tell the teacher». In US crime films a «narc» is a drug police officer. It tells the reader the speaker sees someone as disloyal or a spy.

### Examples

- «Don't be a narc and tell Miss,» said Jayden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x1)
- In the film, the narc pretended to be a student. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x2)
- He narced on us about the broken window. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x3)
- Nobody likes a narc, but telling an adult about danger is the right thing to do. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x4)
- She called her ex a narc because he only cared about himself. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x5)
- The older boys thought the new kid was a narc. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/#x6)

### Note

Slang; also spelled «nark» in the UK (an old word for a police informer, and «narky» in the UK means grumpy). Safety point: telling a trusted adult when someone is hurt or in danger is not «being a narc»; it is being responsible. Comes from «narcotics».

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «narc» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/narc/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«narc» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/narc.html) on Mova free.