From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Constable \Con"sta*ble\ (k[o^]n"st[.a]*b'l or
k[u^]n"st[.a]*b'l), n. [OE. conestable, constable, a
constable (in sense 1), OF. conestable, F. conn['e]table, LL.
conestabulus, constabularius, comes stabuli, orig., count of
the stable, master of the horse, equerry; comes count (L.
companion) + L. stabulum stable. See {Count} a nobleman, and
{Stable}.]
1. A high officer in the monarchical establishments of the
Middle Ages.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The constable of France was the first officer of the
crown, and had the chief command of the army. It was
also his duty to regulate all matters of chivalry. The
office was suppressed in 1627. The constable, or lord
high constable, of England, was one of the highest
officers of the crown, commander in chief of the
forces, and keeper of the peace of the nation. He also
had judicial cognizance of many important matters. The
office was as early as the Conquest, but has been
disused (except on great and solemn occasions), since
the attainder of Stafford, duke of Buckingham, in the
reign of Henry VIII.
[1913 Webster]
2. (Law) An officer of the peace having power as a
conservator of the public peace, and bound to execute the
warrants of judicial officers. --Bouvier.
[1913 Webster]
Note: In England, at the present time, the constable is a
conservator of the peace within his district, and is
also charged by various statutes with other duties,
such as serving summons, precepts, warrants, etc. In
the United States, constables are town or city officers
of the peace, with powers similar to those of the
constables of England. In addition to their duties as
conservators of the peace, they are invested with
others by statute, such as to execute civil as well as
criminal process in certain cases, to attend courts,
keep juries, etc. In some cities, there are officers
called {high constables}, who act as chiefs of the
constabulary or police force. In other cities the title
of constable, as well as the office, is merged in that
of the police officer.
[1913 Webster]
{High constable}, a constable having certain duties and
powers within a hundred. [Eng.]
{Petty constable}, a conservator of the peace within a parish
or tithing; a tithingman. [Eng.]
{Special constable}, a person appointed to act as constable
of special occasions.
{To} {overrun the constable}, or {outrun the constable}, to
spend more than one's income; to get into debt. [Colloq.]
--Smollett.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
constable
n 1: a lawman with less authority and jurisdiction than a
sheriff
2: English landscape painter (1776-1837) [syn: {Constable},
{John Constable}]
3: a police officer of the lowest rank [syn: {constable},
{police constable}]
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