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beadle Definition

bea·dle (bēd'l)

noun

  1. Historical a minor parish officer in the Church of England, who kept order in church
  2. Obsolete a messenger of a law court

Etymology: ME bidel (< OE bydel, akin to beodan, to bid, order), bedel < OFr bedel < Frank *bidal, akin to OE form

beadle Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • become: In 1846 Ratcliffe became a beadle at Halifax and later mace-bearer to the first mayor of the town.

Noun used with modifier

  • parish: James Ellis brought a great presence to the role of Mr Bumble, the pompous parish beadle.
beadle Quotes

Poetry's unnat'ral; no man ever talked poetry 'cept a beadle on boxin'day, or Warren's blackin', or Rowland's oil, or some o'them low fellows; never you let yourself down to talk poetry, my boy.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

Browse dictionary entries near beadle

  1. beading
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  9. beachhead
  10. beachfront
  1. beadledom
  2. beadroll
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  4. beadsman
  5. beadswoman
  6. beadwork
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  10. beaked