catchpole

or catch·poll

[ kach-pohl ]

/ ˈkætʃˌpoʊl /

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noun

(formerly) a petty officer of justice, especially one arresting persons for debt.

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Origin of catchpole

before 1050; Middle English cacchepol,late Old English cæcephol<Medieval Latin cacepollus tax-gatherer, literally, chase-fowl, equivalent to cace- (<Old North French; see catch) + pollus<Latin pullus chick; see pullet

OTHER WORDS FROM catchpole

catch·pol·er·y, catch·poll·er·y, noun

Words nearby catchpole

catch out, catchpenny, catch phrase, catch pit, catch points, catchpole, catch red-handed, catch sight of, catch someone's eye, catch some rays, catch some z's

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use catchpole in a sentence

The usual forms of the court having been gone through, Margaret Catchpole was again placed at the bar.
The History of Margaret Catchpole|Richard Cobbold
Thus ended the career of Margaret Catchpole in England, where her virtues will long be remembered, together with her crimes.
The History of Margaret Catchpole|Richard Cobbold
About a mile from Basche's seat, the catchpole found himself somewhat out of sorts.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.|Francois Rabelais
Thinking that they might be related to the catchpole that was bastinadoed, we asked them the occasion of their grief.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.|Francois Rabelais

That numerical day, as chance would have it, came an old fat ruddy catchpole.
Gargantua and Pantagruel, Complete.|Francois Rabelais

British Dictionary definitions for catchpole

catchpole

catchpoll

/ (ˈkætʃˌpəʊl) /

noun

(in medieval England) a sheriff's officer who arrested debtors

Word Origin for catchpole

Old English cæcepol, from Medieval Latin cacepollus tax-gatherer, literally: chicken-chaser, from cace- catch + pollus (from Latin pullus chick)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

catchpole

or catch·poll

Origin of catchpole

OTHER WORDS FROM catchpole

Words nearby catchpole

Words related to catchpole

How to use catchpole in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for catchpole

catchpoll

Word Origin for catchpole