2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Beadle  \Bea"dle\,  n.  [OE.  bedel,  bidel,  budel  OF  bedel,  F. 
  bedeau  fr  OHG.  butil  putil,  G.  b["u]ttel,  fr  OHG.  biotan 
  G.  bieten,  to  bid,  confused  with  AS  bydel  the  same  word  as 
  OHG.  butil  See  {Bid},  v.] 
  1.  A  messenger  or  crier  of  a  court;  a  servitor;  one  who  cites 
  or  bids  persons  to  appear  and  answer;  --  called  also  an 
  {apparitor}  or  {summoner}. 
 
  2.  An  officer  in  a  university,  who  precedes  public 
  processions  of  officers  and  students.  [Eng.] 
 
  Note:  In  this  sense  the  archaic  spellings  bedel  (Oxford)  and 
  bedell  (Cambridge)  are  preserved. 
 
  3.  An  inferior  parish  officer  in  England  having  a  variety  of 
  duties,  as  the  preservation  of  order  in  church  service, 
  the  chastisement  of  petty  offenders,  etc 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  beadle 
  n  :  a  minor  parish  official  who  serves  as  an  usher  and  preserves 
  order  at  services 

browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
or search   thesauri dictionary search words