Black Rod

American  

noun

1. (in England) an official of the Order of the Garter and chief ceremonial usher of the House of Lords: so called from the rod carried as the symbol of office.

2. a similar official in British colonial and Commonwealth legislatures.

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Black Rod British  

noun

1. (in Britain) an officer of the House of Lords and of the Order of the Garter, whose main duty is summoning the Commons at the opening and proroguing of Parliament

2. a similar officer in any of certain other legislatures

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Etymology

Origin of Black Rod

First recorded in 1625–35

Example Sentences

Their deputy is called the Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, external.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

The title Black Rod comes from the ebony staff, topped with a golden lion, carried by the holder.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

The refusal to let Black Rod enter at the first knock is widely believed to symbolise the Commons' independence from the Crown.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

Their full title is Lady or Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2024

Then his Grace, making obeisance to the lords, reseated himself; and Garter, and the Black Rod, with their reverences, jointly presented the white staff, on their knees, to his Grace.

From Memoirs of the Jacobites of 1715 and 1745 Volume III. by Thomson, Mrs.