bailiff
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: bāʹ-lĭf
ipa: /ˈbeɪlɪf/
rhymes: -eɪlɪf
Forms: form: bailiffs
Etymology: From Middle English baillif, baylyf, from Anglo-Norman and Old French bailif (plural bailis), probably from Vulgar Latin *bāiulivus (“castellan”), from Latin bāiulus (“porter; steward”), whence also bail. As a translation of foreign titles, semantic loan from French bailli, Scots bailie, Dutch baljuw, etc. Mostly replaced the role of native reeve. Doublet of bailo.
Senses: topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: An officer of the court
A reeve, (specifically) the chief officer executing the decisions of any English court in the period following the Norman Conquest or executing the decisions of lower courts in the late medieval and early modern period.
qualifier: Norman term
topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: An officer of the court
A high bailiff: an officer of the county courts responsible for executing warrants and court orders, appointed by the judge and removable by the Lord Chancellor.
topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: An officer of the court
A bound bailiff: a deputy bailiff charged with debt collection.
topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: An officer of the court
Any law enforcement officer charged with courtroom security and order.
topics: government
law-enforcement
glosses: An officer of the court
A huissier de justice or other foreign officer of the court acting as either a process server or as courtroom security.
glosses: A public administrator
A king's man: any officer nominated by the English Crown.
glosses: A public administrator
Synonym of hundredman: The chief officer of a hundred in medieval England.
synonyms: word: hundredman
extra: The chief officer of a hundred in medieval England
glosses: A public administrator
The title of the mayor of certain English towns.
glosses: A public administrator
The title of the castellan of certain royal castles in England.
examples: text: The Bailiff of Jersey is the President of the States and acts as Speaker of the Assembly in the Westminster tradition. He is responsible for the orderly conduct of the States Assembly and its business. As Presiding Officer he has the right of speech – which is mainly exercised for ensuring the orderly conduct of the proceedings – but he cannot vote.
ref: 2011 June 29, “The Bailiff of Jersey”, in States Assembly, retrieved 03 Mar 2013:
glosses: A public administrator
The chief justice and president of the legislature on Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands.
glosses: A public administrator
The High Bailiff of the Isle of Man.
glosses: A public administrator
A bailie: an alderman in certain Scottish towns.
glosses: A public administrator
An appointee of the French king administering certain districts of northern France in the Middle Ages.
glosses: A public administrator
A head of a district ("bailiwick") of the Knights Hospitaller; a head of one of the national associations ("tongues") of the Hospitallers' headquarters on Rhodes or Malta.
glosses: A public administrator
A landvogt in the medieval German states.
glosses: A private administrator, particularly
A steward: the manager of a medieval manor charged with collecting its rents, etc.
examples: text: Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
glosses: A private administrator, particularly
An overseer: a supervisor of tenant farmers, serfs, or slaves, usually as part of his role as steward (see above).
topics: business
mining
glosses: A private administrator, particularly
The foreman or overman of a mine.
glosses: Any debt collector, regardless of his or her official status.
Synonyms: sense: British law enforcement officer
word: high bailiff
sense: British law enforcement officer
word: high-bailiff
sense: British law enforcement officer
word: warrant officer
sense: British law enforcement officer
english: in role of executing warrants
translation: in role of executing warrants
word: beadle
sense: British law enforcement officer
word: catchpoll
sense: British law enforcement officer
english: in role of arresting debtors
translation: in role of arresting debtors
word: bumbailiff
sense: British law enforcement officer
english: in role of serving processes and summonses
translation: in role of serving processes and summonses
word: process server
sense: mayor
word: High-bailiff
sense: mayor
word: High Bailiff
sense: mayor
word: mayor
sense: castellan
word: castellan
sense: officer of the Channel Islands
word: bailly
sense: Scottish alderman
word: bailie
sense: medieval French magistrate
word: consul
sense: medieval French magistrate
word: capitoul
sense: medieval French magistrate
english: Bordeaux
translation: Bordeaux
word: jurat
sense: medieval German magistrate
word: landvogt
sense: medieval administrator
word: steward
sense: medieval overseer
word: overseer
Hyponyms: bumbailiff
circuit court bailiff
district court bailiff
farm bailiff
ground bailiff
jury bailiff
magistrates' bailiff
private bailiff
provincial bailiff
Derived terms: bailiff-errant
bailiff-haunted
bailiff-peer
bailiffry
bailiffship
bailiffwick
bumbailiff
bum-bailiff
bum bailiff
deputy bailiff
deputy high bailiff
Deputy High Bailiff
farm bailiff
High-bailiff
High Bailiff
jury bailiff
private bailiff
provincial bailiff
subbailiff
underbailiff
under-bailiff
water bailiff
Related terms: word: bail
word: bailing
word: bailee
word: bailer
word: bailey
word: bailie
word: bailiery
word: bailiary
word: bailiric
word: bailivate
word: bailiwick
word: bailliage
word: baillie
word: bailly
english: earlier form of office
translation: earlier form of office
word: reeve