sheriff

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The main law-enforcement officer of a county, often elected.

   The sheriff arrested two men outside the bank.

2. 2
   noun

   In Scotland, a judge in a local county court.

   The sheriff sentenced the offender to two years in prison.

Inherited from Middle English shirreve, in turn inherited from Old English sċīrġerēfa, corresponding to shire + reeve. There is no etymological connection to Sharif (Arabic شَرِيف (šarīf)), an Arabic title of honour with cognates in other languages, including Persian, Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Turkish, Spanish, Portuguese, etc.

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