posse

pos‧se /ˈpɒsi $ ˈpɑːsi/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: posse comitatus 'power of the county']
1. informal a group of the same kind of people
posse of
I was surrounded by a posse of photographers.
2. a group of men gathered together by a ↑sheriff (=local law officer) in the US in past times to help catch a criminal
3. American English informal
a) someone’s group of friends – used especially by young people
b) a group of friends from a particular place who share an interest in ↑rap, HIP-HOP, or ↑house music SYN massive British English

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

posse

posse [posse posses] [ˈpɒsi] [ˈpɑːsi] noun
1. (informal) a group of people who are similar in some way, or who spend time together

• a little posse of helpers

2. (in the US in the past) a group of people who were brought together by a sheriff (= an officer of the law) in order to help him catch a criminal

3. (informal) a group of young men involved in crime connected with drugs
Word Origin:
mid 17th cent.: from medieval Latin, literally power, from Latin posse ‘be able’.
Example Bank:
• He was sat at a corner table and surrounded by a posse of attentive waiters.

• She arrived at the theatre followed by the usual press posse.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

posse / ˈpɒs.i / / ˈpɑː.si / noun [ C , + sing/pl verb ]

a group of people who have come together for the same purpose:

The disgraced minister walked swiftly from the car to his house pursued by a whole posse of reporters.

in the past, a group of men in the US who were brought together to catch a criminal:

The sheriff rounded up a posse and went after the bank robbers.

slang a group of friends:

I was hanging with my posse.

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

posse

[pɒ̱si]
posses
1) N-COUNT: N of n A posse of people is a group of people with the same job or purpose. [INFORMAL]
  He refused to engage in conversation with a posse of reporters when leaving Belmont...
  A posse of Marsh's friends persuaded them that this was a bad idea.
  Syn:
  group
2) N-COUNT In former times, in the United States, a posse was a group of men who were brought together by the local law officer to help him chase and capture a criminal.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

posse

pos·se /ˈpɑːsi/ noun, pl -ses [count]
1 : a group of people who were gathered together by a sheriff in the past to help search for a criminal
• The sheriff and his posse rode out to look for the bandits.
2 informal : a group of people who are together for a particular purpose - often + of
• A posse of reporters greeted the coach.
3 informal : a group of friends : gang
• I went to the game with my posse.
• The movie star and his posse [=(more formally) entourage] were seen at the new restaurant.