constable

Meanings

Noun

• One holding the lowest rank in most Commonwealth police forces. (See also chief constable.)
• A police officer or an officer with equivalent powers.
• An officer of a noble court in the Middle Ages, usually a senior army commander. (See also marshal).
• The warden of a castle.
• A public officer, usually at municipal level, responsible for maintaining order or serving writs and court orders.
• An elected head of a parish (also known as a connétable)
• A large butterfly, Dichorragia nesimachus (species), family Nymphalidae, of Asia.

Verb

• To act as a constable or policeman.

Origin

• 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. connétable.