constable
Other forms: constables
A small-town police officer is sometimes known as a constable. If you live in an extremely tiny town, the constable may show up at your door when you dial 9-1-1 for help with a raccoon stuck in your chimney.
In Britain and Canada, a constable is the lowest-ranking officer in a police force. It's less common in the U.S., and the word's exact meaning varies a bit from state to state. In some places, a constable is only authorized to serve subpoenas to people who are required to testify in court. Other constables have full law enforcement powers. The Latin root of constable is comes stabuli, "attendant to the stables."
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a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a sheriff
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a police officer of the lowest ranksynonyms: police constable
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Vocabulary lists containing constable
After meeting the Tucks, a family that is able to live forever after drinking from a magical spring, Winnie Foster questions whether immortality is a blessing or a curse.
In this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, many characters, including a Stage Manager who takes on several roles, use imaginary props and pantomime to portray life and death in the small town of Grover's Corners, New Hampshire.
The Quartering Act of 1765 was an act passed by British Parliament, which forced people in the US colonies to house and feed British soldiers during times of peace if there was no room in barracks. The symbolic power of this act was great, as it implied that there would now be a British standing army in the colonies during peace time. The act was largely ineffective and expired in 1767, however, it was amended in 1774 as part of the Intolerable Acts. Even though it was rather ineffective, the act had such high symbolic value and was so unpopular that it is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and in the US Constitution. Full texts: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/related/quartering.htm This list is based on paragraph 2, which explains the core aspect of the act.