bailiff
noun
bai·liff
| \ ˈbā-ləf
\
\
Definition of bailiff
1a
: an official employed by a British sheriff to serve writs and make arrests and executions
b
: 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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Other Words from bailiff
bailiffship
\ ˈbā-ləf-ˌship
\
noun
\
noun
Examples of bailiff in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The state allows court bailiffs with minimal oversight to enter homes to confiscate televisions or other valuables to offset debts. — Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, "Russians Pull Out Credit Cards, and Consumer Debt Spirals," 5 Aug. 2019 The poet’s third husband was Richard Prowse, of Exeter, a prominent draper who was also the city’s bailiff, sheriff, alderman, and mayor, as well as a Member of Parliament. — Jamie Quatro, The New Yorker, "The Hidden Life of a Forgotten Sixteenth-Century Female Poet," 5 Aug. 2019 Biron and Andrieux hired an official court bailiff to report on the rooster, at a cost of hundreds of dollars. — Adam Nossiter, BostonGlobe.com, "‘The rooster must be defended’: France’s culture clash reaches a coop," 23 June 2019 The bailiffs escorted him to a private room behind the courtroom. — Jay R. Jordan, Houston Chronicle, "Judge orders $45K bond for man who faces new charge in Maleah Davis case," 7 Aug. 2019 One of the bailiffs had his hands on the back of Manson’s chair. — Los Angeles Times, "From the Archives: Manson Verdict — All Guilty," 28 July 2019 Chaos erupted inside a Cincinnati courtroom on Monday as a former judge — convicted of using her position to help a family member — was dragged away to jail by a bailiff. — NBC News, "Courtroom chaos: Video shows judge dragged away after her own sentencing," 22 July 2019 The man started asking one of the jurors personal questions, so the women asked a bailiff for help. — Monivette Cordeiro, orlandosentinel.com, "As jurors ready to decide Scott Nelson’s fate, trial sidetracked by man who said he ‘deserves to fry'," 9 July 2019 Magistrate Jeffrey Young handed down the sentence against Young when Weiler wasn’t available to hear the case, her bailiff said Tuesday. — Kaylee Remington, cleveland.com, "Garfield Heights woman given 10 days in jail for feeding stray cats gets another day in court," 31 July 2019These 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.
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More Definitions for bailiff
bailiff
noun
English Language Learners Definition of bailiff
US
: an officer in a court of law who helps the judge control the people in the courtroom
British
: someone hired by a sheriff to bring legal documents to people and to take away possessions when people cannot pay for them
British
: someone who manages the land and property of another person
See the full definition for bailiff in the English Language Learners Dictionary
bailiff
noun
bai·liff
| \ ˈbā-ləf
\
\
Legal 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
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