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Beadle

name, noun

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname originating as an occupation for a court official.
Noun
  1. 1
    A parish constable, a uniformed minor (lay) official, who ushers and keeps order.

    "Twas on a holy Thursday, their innocent faces clean, The children walking two and two in red and blue and green: Grey-headed beadles walked before, with wands as white as snow, Till into the high dome of Paul's they like Thames waters flow."

  2. 2
    a minor parish official who serves a ceremonial function wordnet
  3. 3
    An attendant to the minister. Scotland
  4. 4
    A warrant officer.

Etymology

From Middle English bedel, bidel, from Old English bydel (“warrant officer, apparitor”), from Proto-West Germanic *budil, from Proto-Germanic *budilaz (“herald”), equivalent to bid + -le. Cognate with Dutch beul, German Büttel. More at bid.

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