Constable

Constable, kun′sta-bl, n. formerly a state-officer of the highest rank: the warden of a castle: a peace-officer: a policeman.—ns. Con′stablery, the charge of a constable; Con′stableship; Con′stablewick, the district of a constable; Con′stabling, acting as a constable or policeman; Constab′ulary, the body of constables of a district, town, &c.—adj. of or pertaining to constables, or peace-officers.—Constable of France, chief of the household under the old French kings, then commander-in-chief of the army, judge in questions of chivalry, tournaments, and martial displays.—High Constable, one of two constables ordained in every hundred or franchise, to make the view of armour, and to see to the conservation of the peace; High Constable of Scotland, the first subject in Scotland after the blood-royal; Lord High Constable of England, the seventh great officer of the crown, and formerly a judge in the court of chivalry.—Outrun the constable, to go too fast: to get into debt.—Special constable, a person sworn in by the justices to preserve the peace, or to execute warrants on special occasions. [O. Fr. conestable (Fr. connétable)—L. comes stabuli, count of the stabulum, stable.]