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- Dictionarytipstaff/ˈtɪpstɑːf/
noun
- 1. a sheriff's officer; a bailiff.
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The meaning of TIPSTAFF is a court officer whose duties include assisting the judge and acting as crier.
A tipstaff is an officer of a court or, in some countries, a law clerk to a judge. The duties of the position vary from country to country. It is also the name of a symbolic rod, which represents the authority of the tipstaff or other officials such as senior police officers.
noun Word forms: plural ˈtipˌstaffs or ˈtipˌstaves (ˈtɪpˌsteɪvz ) 1. a staff with a metal tip, formerly carried as an emblem by certain officials. 2. an official who carried such a staff; esp., in England, a bailiff or constable.
There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun tipstaff, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Definition: A tipstaff is a court crier who announces the beginning and end of court sessions. The name comes from the staff that the crier holds, which is tipped with silver as a badge of office. Examples: The tipstaff announced the judge's entrance into the courtroom.
A tipstaff is a staff with a metal tip, carried as a sign of office by an officer, such as a bailiff or constable. Learn more about the origin, synonyms, and translations of the word tipstaff from various sources.
1. a staff with a metal tip, formerly carried as an emblem by certain officials. [...] 2. an official who carried such a staff; esp., in England, a bailiff or constable. [...] Examples of 'tipstaff' in a sentence.
