marshal

American  

[mahr-shuhl] / ˈmɑr ʃəl /

noun

1. a military officer of the highest rank, as in the French and some other armies.

2. an administrative officer of a U.S. judicial district who performs duties similar to those of a sheriff.

3. a court officer serving processes, attending court, giving personal service to the judges, etc.

4. the chief of a police or fire department in some cities.

5. a police officer in some communities.

6. sky marshal.

7. a higher officer of a royal household or court.

8. an official charged with the arrangement or regulation of ceremonies, parades, etc..

   the marshal of the St. Patrick's Day parade.

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verb (used with object)

marshaled, marshaling, marshalled, marshalling

1. to arrange in proper order; set out in an orderly manner; arrange clearly.

   to marshal facts; to marshal one's arguments.

   Synonyms:

   convoke, dispose, order

   Antonyms:

   scatter

2. to array, as for battle.

3. to usher or lead ceremoniously.

   Their host marshaled them into the room.

4. Heraldry. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on a single escutcheon.

marshal British  

/ ˈmɑːʃəl /

noun

1. (in some armies and air forces) an officer of the highest rank

2. (in England) an officer, usually a junior barrister, who accompanies a judge on circuit and performs miscellaneous secretarial duties

3. 1. a Federal court officer assigned to a judicial district whose functions are similar to those of a sheriff

   2. (in some states) the chief police or fire officer

4. an officer who organizes or conducts ceremonies, parades, etc

5. Also called: knight marshal.  (formerly in England) an officer of the royal family or court, esp one in charge of protocol

6. an obsolete word for ostler

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verb

1. to arrange in order

   to marshal the facts

2. to assemble and organize (troops, vehicles, etc) prior to onward movement

3. to arrange (assets, mortgages, etc) in order of priority

4. to guide or lead, esp in a ceremonious way

5. to combine (two or more coats of arms) on one shield

Related Words

See gather.

Other Word Forms

• marshalcy noun
• marshaler noun
• marshaller noun
• marshalship noun
• remarshal verb (used with object)
• submarshal noun
• undermarshal noun
• unmarshaled adjective
• unmarshalled adjective

Etymology

Origin of marshal

1225–75; Middle English marshal, syncopated variant of mareschal < Old French < Germanic; compare Old High German marahscalh groom, equivalent to marah horse ( mare ¹ ) + scalh servant, cognate with Old English scealc

Example Sentences

“We all know that a certain buildup was there in the Arabian Sea and the region,” said Sri Lanka Defense Secretary Sampath Thuyacontha, a retired air vice marshal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The marshal decided to hold the drivers until nightfall.

From Literature

At the heart of it all was the magnificent Gabriel, repelling all Brighton's borders and marshalling resources with his outstanding central defensive partner William Saliba missing through injury.

From BBC

Trains pulled in every 15 or 20 minutes, as many as the endlessly enterprising operators of Ukraine's railway network could find in the sidings and marshalling yards.

From BBC

The grand marshal of the festival, Butler, who lost his longtime home in Altadena in last year’s Eaton fire, embodies the event’s theme of passing the baton to the next generation.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• assemble
• mobilize