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catchpole

noun
/ˈkatʃpəʊl/UK

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman cachepole, a compound of cachier (“to catch”) + pol (“fowl”), a nickname given to a bailiff, originally empowered to seize poultry and other livestock in case of default on debts or taxes.

  1. derived from chacepol

Definitions

  1. A taxman, one who gathers taxes.

    • With two such catchpoles as Henry and Uncle Fred at his heels there was nothing left for Grandpa Piper but to sign his abdication to the drapery business.

  2. A sheriff’s officer, usually one who arrests debtors.

  3. An implement formerly used for seizing and securing a person who would otherwise be out…

    An implement formerly used for seizing and securing a person who would otherwise be out of reach.

    • The use of the catch-pole is said to have been to take horsemen in battle by the neck and drag them from their horses.
  4. ›+ 1 more definition

    1. A surname from Anglo-Norman.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for catchpole. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA