constable

¹

[kon-stuh-buhl, kuhn-]

noun

1. an officer of the peace, having police and minor judicial functions, usually in a small town, rural district, etc.

2. Chiefly British.,  a police officer.

3. an officer of high rank in medieval monarchies, usually the commander of all armed forces, especially in the absence of the ruler.

4. the keeper or governor of a royal fortress or castle.

Constable

²

[kuhn-stuh-buhl, kon-]

noun

1. John, 1776–1837, English painter.

constable

¹

/ ˌkɒn-, ˈkʌnstəbəl /

noun

1. (in Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, etc) a police officer of the lowest rank

2. any of various officers of the peace, esp one who arrests offenders, serves writs, etc

3. the keeper or governor of a royal castle or fortress

4. (in medieval Europe) the chief military officer and functionary of a royal household, esp in France and England

5. an officer of a hundred in medieval England, originally responsible for raising the military levy but later assigned other administrative duties

Constable

²

/ ˈkʌnstəbəl /

noun

1. John. 1776–1837, English landscape painter, noted particularly for his skill in rendering atmospheric effects of changing light

Other Word Forms

• constableship noun
• underconstable noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of constable¹

1200–50; Middle English conestable < Anglo-French, Old French < Late Latin comes stabulī count ² of the stable ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of constable¹

C13: from Old French, from Late Latin comes stabulī officer in charge of the stable, from Latin comes comrade + stabulum dwelling, stable; see also _count ²

Example Sentences

GMP chief constable Sir Stephen Watson said there were many worshippers inside the synagogue at the time of the incident.

From BBC

Some of his footage was also reviewed by a former chief constable and a former attorney general - the government's principal legal adviser - so they could give an expert view on the evidence.

From BBC

It is a civilian role which involves working closely with sergeants and constables, but not taking part in arrests.

From BBC

A former detective constable and three people have been convicted of smuggling contraband into prisons using drones.

From BBC

To make that understandable and realistic for the reader, I’ve interviewed many British police professionals, from detectives to press officers to constables on the street.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• detective 
• patrolman 
• policeman 
• policewoman