marshal
marshal
Definition
mar·shal (mär′s̸həl)
noun
- a groom or, later, a master of the horse in a medieval royal household
- a high official of a royal household or court, as in medieval times, in charge of military affairs, ceremonies, etc.
- a military commander; specif.,
- field marshal
- in various foreign armies, a general officer of the highest rank
- an officer of the highest rank in the British Royal Air Force
- an official in charge of ceremonies, processions, rank and order, etc. who arranges the order of march
- ☆ an officer of various kinds in the U.S.; specif.,
- a federal officer appointed to a judicial district to carry out orders and perform functions like those of a sheriff
- a minor officer of the law in some cities
- the head, or a high-ranking officer, of a police or fire department in some cities
Etymology: ME marescal < OFr mareschal < Frank *marhskalk or OHG marahscalh, lit., horse servant (> ML marescalcus) < marah, horse (akin to OE mearh, horse: see mare) + scalh, servant < IE base *sel-, to spring
transitive verb -·shaled or -·shalled, -·shal·ing or -·shal·ling
- to arrange (troops, things, ideas, etc.) in order; array; dispose to marshal forces for battle
- to direct as a marshal; manage
- to lead or guide ceremoniously
mar′·shalcy noun or mar′·shal·ship′
marshal
Synonyms
marshal
n.
marshal
Synonyms
marshal
Law Definition
n
- A federal court employee with police-like powers who provides security, guards prisoners, and seizes property in execution of judgments, among other functions.
- A state or local official with responsibilities like those of a sheriff.
- Arranging in order of priority or in a logical pattern.
marshal
Usage Examples
Object
- yard: The first year is really a sort of marshaling yard to persuade them to sit down.
- defense: Town had most of the play but Spalding's well marshaled defense left very little space.
- argument: Marshaling arguments to a marshal stream ( obtained from the remote reference layer ).
- troop: Substitute Sam Webb, returning from rugby in Australia, took the game to Dagenham and Mark Dempsey marshaled the troops with some authority.
- army: He's seen there as marshaling the army of demons.
Converse of object
- inform: Inform the flag marshal of oil etc. Do not make unnecessary signals to the competitors.
Adjective modifier
- federal: They're all on their way to a new maximum security prison, being transported by air by a bunch of federal marshals.
- armed: Armed sky marshals will routinely sit next to you.
- trained: Ensure that trained Fire Marshals are appointed for each of their offices.
- chief: Dave New will be asked if he wishes to be chief marshal.
- experienced: They provided effectively all the marshals apart from one important junctions where I wanted to put an experienced race marshal.
Modifying Another Word
- ably: Director Nicholas Philibert follows a class made up of a mixture of ages, ably marshaled by their superb teacher Georges Lopez.
- superbly: The home defense was superbly marshaled by McMullen & Graham who give little away.
Noun used with modifier
- dive: For a trainee dive marshal, life's a lot simpler.
- taxi: A pilot scheme run by Bristol council was so popular that the council now employs taxi marshals permanently.
- sky: Have you picked the Federal Pen the sky marshals are to be housed in yet?
- air: The offender was duly taken care of by a US air marshal.
- field: I shouted: " General, I am an officer, a field marshal!
- flag: Inform the flag marshal of oil etc. Do not make unnecessary signals to the competitors.
Preposition: of
- army: Field marshal of an in-house army that rivals that of a middle-sized firm, Ahmed commands 80 lawyers plus another 50 fee-earners.
Browse dictionary entries near marshal
- Marsha
- marsh marigold
- marsh mallow
- marsh hen
- marsh hawk
- marsh gas
- marsh elder
- marsh
- Marseilles
- Marseille
- Marshall
- Marshall Islands
- Marshall Jr., George C.
- Marshall Plan
- Marshalsea
- marshland
- marshmallow
- marshy
- Marston
- Marston Moor
