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Definition of bailiff
1a : an official employed by a British sheriff to serve writs and make arrests and executionsb : a minor officer of some U.S. courts usually serving as a messenger or usher
2 chiefly British : one who manages an estate or farm
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Recent Examples of bailiff from the Web
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At the national security court, troops in battle dress on mostly nine-month deployments serve as bailiffs, marshals and police at the court and shuttle the captives between the court and prison, which is on a different part of the base.
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A source tipped The Sacramento Bee about the plans for the surprise witness, and a Bee reporter made it inside the courtroom before a bailiff secured the doors and Woods walked in wearing a gray suit and black T-shirt.
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O'Donnell's bailiff, Jessica Amos, quieted the woman.
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Teen volunteers such as Jake are trained in the legal process as jurors, clerks of court, bailiffs, and attorneys.
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Cheryl Crowe said out loud, drawing an admonition from a bailiff.
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At about 5 p.m., bailiffs left to get an evening meal for the jury.
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But filling the role of a bailiff was a bit different for the Clarendon Hills resident, who organized the mock trial presented Tuesday at Notre Dame School.
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A corrections officer staffs the jail and also works as the Florence Municipal Court bailiff, according to the city's website.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bailiff'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bailiff
Middle English baillif, bailie, from Anglo-French baillif, from bail power, authority, office, from baillier to govern, administer, from Medieval Latin bajulare to care for, support, from Latin, to carry a burden — more at 3bail
BAILIFF Defined for English Language Learners
bailiff
playDefinition of bailiff for English Language Learners
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: an officer in a court of law who helps the judge control the people in the courtroom
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: someone hired by a sheriff to bring legal documents to people and to take away possessions when people cannot pay for them
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: someone who manages the land and property of another person
Law Dictionary
bailiff
playLegal Definition of bailiff
: an officer of some courts in the U.S. whose duties usually include keeping order in the courtroom and guarding prisoners or jurors in deliberation
Origin and Etymology of bailiff
Anglo-French, steward, king's official, from bail stewardship, custody, handing over — see bail
Learn More about bailiff
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See words that rhyme with bailiff Spanish Central: Translation of bailiff Nglish: Translation of bailiff for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of bailiff for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bailiff
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