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Webster 1913 Edition


Marshal

Mar′shal

,
Noun.
[OE.
mareschal
, OF.
mareschal
, F.
maréchal
, LL.
mariscalcus
, from OHG.
marah-scalc
(G.
marschall
);
marah
horse +
scalc
servant (akin to AS.
scealc
, Goth.
skalks
). F.
maréchal
signifies, a marshal, and a farrier. See
Mare
horse, and cf.
Seneschal
.]
1.
Originally, an officer who had the care of horses; a groom.
[Obs.]
2.
An officer of high rank, charged with the arrangement of ceremonies, the conduct of operations, or the like
;
as, specifically:
(a)
One who goes before a prince to declare his coming and provide entertainment; a harbinger; a pursuivant.
(b)
One who regulates rank and order at a feast or any other assembly, directs the order of procession, and the like.
(c)
The chief officer of arms, whose duty it was, in ancient times, to regulate combats in the lists.
Johnson.
(d)
(France)
The highest military officer.
In other countries of Europe a marshal is a military officer of high rank, and called
field marshal
.
(e)
(Am. Law)
A ministerial officer, appointed for each judicial district of the United States, to execute the process of the courts of the United States, and perform various duties, similar to those of a sheriff. The name is also sometimes applied to certain police officers of a city.
Earl marshal of England
,
the eighth officer of state; an honorary title, and personal, until made hereditary in the family of the Duke of Norfolk. During a vacancy in the office of high constable, the earl marshal has jurisdiction in the court of chivalry.
Brande & C.
Earl marshal of Scotland
,
an officer who had command of the cavalry under the constable. This office was held by the family of Keith, but forfeited by rebellion in 1715.
Knight marshal
, or
Marshal of the King’s house
,
formerly, in England, the marshal of the king's house, who was authorized to hear and determine all pleas of the Crown, to punish faults committed within the verge, etc. His court was called the Court of Marshalsea.
Marshal of the Queen's Bench
,
formerly the title of the officer who had the custody of the Queen's bench prison in Southwark.
Mozley & W.

Mar′shal

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Marshaled
or
Marshalled
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Marshaling
or
Marshalling
.]
1.
To dispose in order; to arrange in a suitable manner;
as, to
marshal
troops or an army
.
And
marshaling
the heroes of his name
As, in their order, next to light they came.
Dryden.
2.
To direct, guide, or lead.
Thou
marshalest
me the way that I was going.
Shakespeare
3.
(Her.)
To dispose in due order, as the different quarterings on an escutcheon, or the different crests when several belong to an achievement.

Webster 1828 Edition


Marshal

M`ARSHAL

,
Noun.
1.
The chief officer of arms, whose duty it is to regulate combats in the lists.
2.
One who regulates rank and order at a feast or any other assembly, directs the order of procession and the like.
3.
A harbinger; a pursuivant; one who goes before a prince to declare his coming and provide entertainment.
4.
In France, the highest military officer. In other countries of Europe, a marshal is a military officer of high rank, and called field-marshal.
5.
In America, a civil officer, appointed by the President and Senate of the United States, in each judicial district, answering to the sheriff of a county. His duty is to execute all precepts directed to him, issued under the authority of the United States.
6.
An officer of any private society, appointed to regulate their ceremonies and execute their orders.
Earl marshal of England, the eighth officer of state; an honorary title, and personal, until made hereditary by Charles II, in the family of Howard. During a vacancy in the office of high constable, the earl marshal has jurisdiction in the court of chivalry.
Earl marshal of Scotland. This officer formerly had command of the cavalry, under the constable. This office was held by the family of Keith, but forfeited by rebellion in 1715.
Knight marshal, or marshal of the king's house, formerly an officer who was to execute the commands of the lord steward, and have the custody of prisoners committed by the court of verge; hence, the name of a prison in Southwark.
Marshal of the king's bench, an officer who has the custody of the prison called the king's bench, in Southwark. He attends on the court and has the charge of the prisoners committed by them.

Definition 2024


Marshal

Marshal

See also: marshal

English

Alternative forms

Proper noun

Marshal

  1. An English and Scottish status surname for someone who was in charge of the horses of a royal household, or an occupational surname for someone who looked after horses, or was responsible for the custody of prisoners.
  2. A male given name, transferred use of the surname since nineteenth century.

marshal

marshal

See also: Marshal

English

Alternative forms

Noun

marshal (plural marshals)

  1. A high-ranking officer in the household of a medieval prince or lord, who was originally in charge of the cavalry and later the military forces in general.
  2. A military officer of the highest rank in several countries, including France and the former Soviet Union; equivalent to a general of the army in the United States. See also field marshal.
  3. A person in charge of the ceremonial arrangement and management of a gathering.
  4. (US) A federal lawman.

Translations

Verb

marshal (third-person singular simple present marshals, present participle marshalling or marshaling, simple past and past participle marshalled or marshaled)

  1. To arrange troops etc. in line for inspection or a parade.
    • 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
      Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge.
  2. (by extension) To arrange facts etc. in some methodical order.
  3. To ceremoniously guide, conduct or usher.
  4. To gather data for transmission.

Translations

See also

References

  1. marshal” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
  2. marshal in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913