catchpole Hear it!

catchpole definition

catch·pole or catchpoll catch′·poll′ (-pōl′)

noun

Historical, Brit. a sheriff's officer who arrested nonpaying debtors

Etymology: ME cacchepol & Late OE cæcepol, tax gatherer < Anglo-Fr cache-pol, lit., chicken chaser < ML cacepollus < *cacere (< VL *captiare: see catch) + L pullus, fowl: see poultry

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.