One who delivers the message or executes the mandates of an authority. spec. A messenger of justice, a warrant officer; an under-bailiff; a tipstaff…

A rider, a horseman; (now only) spec. a mounted bailiff.

A catchpoll, beagle, ‘bulldog’.

An officer of the sheriff's court whose duties include collecting taxes, delivering summonses, etc. Obsolete.

An officer of justice under a sheriff, who executes writs and processes, distrains, and arrests; a warrant officer, pursuivant, or catchpoll.

A bailiff, a sheriff's sergeant, esp. one who collects debts or arrests debtors for non-payment; (also) a petty officer of justice. Now historical…

= bailiff, n. 2. Obsolete (or dialect)

A person holding an office in law enforcement; a sheriff's serjeant, a bailiff; †a catchpole (obsolete); a member of a police force. Also: †a…

= sheriff's officer n.; also Shropshire dialect the goldfinch (see quot. 1796).

Law. An officer who seizes and takes a person, or goods or property, into legal custody.

Scots Law. More fully messenger-at-arms. An officer appointed by the Lord Lyon to execute writs proceeding from the Court of Session, the High…

tipped staff n. An officer bearing such a staff: = tipstaff, n. 2.

Used in the official and semi-official titles of particular functionaries, e.g. certain members of the British royal household, or of municipal…

= bailiff-errant: see bailiff, n. compounds 1.

Perhaps: a process server.

A bailiff empowered to execute writs and warrants, esp. to collect debts or arrest debtors for non-payment. Cf. bailiff, n. 2, bum-bailey, n.

An official carrying a tipped staff; spec. (a) a sheriff's officer, bailiff, constable; (b) an officer appointed to wait upon a court in session; a…

slang. A beadle, constable, or the like. Obsolete.

A bailiff.

Law. A person who formally delivers a legal document such as a summons, writ, or subpoena; spec. one who does this as an occupation; a process…

(see quot.).

A bailiff empowered to execute writs and warrants, esp. to collect debts or arrest debtors for non-payment; = bum-bailiff, n. Cf. bailie, n. 3.

a person who serves processes (sense 5b) or summonses; a bailiff.

a catchpoll, constable.

Apparently a depreciative name for: a bailiff or similar official. Cf. earlier bum-bailiff, n. Obsolete.

A legal official employed to execute citations, summonses, or writs (cf. exploit, n. 2b); a bailiff.

In the Isle of Man: a bailiff or government officer.

derogatory. A bailiff empowered to execute writs and warrants, esp. to collect debts or arrest debtors for non-payment; = bum-bailiff, n. Also: a…

= bum-bailiff, n. Cf. bum, n.1 2.

= bum-bailiff, n.

†A sheriff's officer (obsolete); one of the Proctors' attendants at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. colloquial.

an official employed to execute the sheriff's writs, to distrain and arrest.

a bailiff; (also) a bailiff's assistant; cf. bum-bailiff, n., bum-bailey, n.

A name given by Blackstone to the sheriff's officer in explanation of the colloquial term bum-bailiff, n.

‘A sheriff's messenger, or bum-bailiff, denominated perhaps from the badges of office on his coat’ (Jamieson).

slang. A bailiff or other officer who carries out arrests; a ‘bum-bailiff’. Obsolete.

slang. A bumbailiff.

slang. A bailiff. Obsolete.

South African. Law. In full messenger of the court. An officer responsible for executing the orders of a magistrate's court.

slang. A sheriff's officer or bailiff; a debt collector. Obsolete.

= sheriff's officer n.

Law. A special arrest warrant. Also: the officer charged with executing such a warrant. Obsolete. rare.

One who grabs. A catchpoll, bumbailiff, policeman. Perhaps Obsolete.

humorous. An officer of the law; a bailiff. Obsolete. rare.

English regional (north-eastern). Frequently derogatory. A bailiff empowered to execute writs and warrants, esp. to collect debts or arrest debtors…

A person who serves writs (writ, n. 4b(b)).

Short for sheriff's officer n. at compounds 1; = bailiff, n. 2.