mar·shal
(mäŕshəl)
[Middle English, from Old French mareschal, of Germanic origin.]
noun
- A military officer of the highest rank in some countries.
- A field marshal.
- A U.S. federal officer of a judicial district who carries out court orders and discharges duties similar to those of a sheriff.
- A city law enforcement officer in the United States who carries out court orders.
- The head of a police or fire department in the United States.
- A person in charge of a parade or ceremony.
- A high official in a royal court, especially one aiding the sovereign in military affairs.
verb: -shaled, also -shalled, -shal·ing, marshal·ling, -shals, -shals
transitive verb
- To arrange or place (troops, for example) in line for a parade, maneuver, or review.
- To arrange, place, or set in methodical order: marshal facts in preparation for an exam. See synonyms at arrange
- To enlist and organize: trying to marshal public support.
- To guide ceremoniously; conduct or usher.
intransitive verb
- To take up positions in or as if in a military formation.
- To take form or order: facts marshaling as research progressed.
derivatives
- maŕshal·cy
- noun
