constable

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   One holding the lowest rank in most Commonwealth police forces. (See also chief constable.)

   As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.

2. 2
   noun

   a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff

3. 3
   noun

   a police officer of the lowest rank

4. 4
   noun

   A police officer or an officer with equivalent powers.

Common collocations

• chief constable Adjective + noun

From Middle English constable, cunstable, constabil, connestable, cunestable, from Old French conestable, from Latin comes stabulī (“officer of the stables”). For the sense-development; compare marshal. Doublet of connétable.

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images