cherry top
Cop car beacon
Cherry top is slang for the rotating red light mounted on police vehicles, named for its resemblance to a maraschino cherry.
By extension, it refers to the police car itself or to police officers: We were speeding until we spotted a cherry top in the rearview mirror.
The term evokes the distinctive flashing beacon that signals law enforcement presence, particularly on older patrol cars before modern light bars became standard.
- policeCivil law enforcement
- lightbarVehicle-mounted warning lights
- emergency lightsSignals indicating urgent situations
- flashing lightsIntermittent bright signals
- sundaeDressed-up frozen dessert
ice cream sundae · whipped cream · hot fudge · siren · beacon · emergency · flashing · patrol · garnish · dessert · squad car · maraschino · confectionery · warning · response · vehicle · red · cruiser