apparitor

American  

[uh-par-i-ter] / əˈpær ɪ tər /

noun

1. (in ancient Rome) a subordinate official of a magistrate or of the court.

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apparitor British  

/ əˈpærɪtə /

noun

1. an officer who summons witnesses and executes the orders of an ecclesiastical and (formerly) a civil court

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Etymology

Origin of apparitor

1250–1300; Middle English apparitour < Latin appāritor, equivalent to appāri- (variant stem of appārēre to serve, attend, literally, to be seen; appear ) + -tor -tor

Example Sentences

I continued, and I drew out a little packet of parchment with a great red seal hanging from it by a green ribbon; just such a packet as that which I had stolen from the Bishop's apparitor nearly four years back.

From Project Gutenberg

I solemnly drew out the white staff I had taken from the apparitor.

From Project Gutenberg

Before any of his apparitors could execute the sentence, he was himself summoned away by a sterner apparitor to the other world.

From Project Gutenberg

A messenger or crier of a court; a servitor; one who cites or bids persons to appear and answer; Ð called also an apparitor or summoner.

From Project Gutenberg

Lilly speaks of one William Poole, who was a nibbler at astrological science, and, in addition, a gardener, an apparitor, a drawer of lime, a plasterer, a bricklayer; in fact, he bragged of knowing no fewer than seventeen trades—such was the versatility of his genius!

From Project Gutenberg