bailiff
/ˈbeɪlɪf/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈbeɪlɪf/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbā-ləf/ (ame, mw)
bailiff — noun
- bailiffsingular
- bailiffsplural
1. a court official who enforces civil court orders — delivering legal papers, coll
a court official who enforces civil court orders — delivering legal papers, collecting unpaid debts, and seizing property from people who fail to pay what they owe.
Hassan opened the door to find a bailiff holding a court order for his unpaid rent.
bailiff holding a court order
A bailiff visited Vikram's shop to collect the money he owed in business rates.
bailiff visited, collect the money
The bailiff walked through the flat and wrote down every item he planned to seize.
In many US courtrooms the bailiff delivers the judge's orders to the attorneys and keeps order during the trial.
The bailiff served the legal papers at dawn, waking the whole street with loud knocking.
- enforcement agent
the official legal term in England and Wales since 2014; used in formal and legal contexts
- court officer
a broader term for any official working in a court, not only those who handle debt collection
- marshal
used in US federal courts; marshals have wider powers including transporting prisoners across state lines
文法句型
bailiff + verb
bailiff + of + court
用法筆記
Used in both the UK and the US, but the exact duties differ. In the UK a bailiff mainly collects debts and seizes property; in the US a bailiff is more likely to work inside the courtroom keeping order and assisting the judge. Distinguish from sense 3: a sheriff's bailiff acts under a sheriff's authority, while this sense covers court-employed bailiffs.
常見錯誤
2. someone hired to run a farm or a large country property for the person who owns
someone hired to run a farm or a large country property for the person who owns it, taking care of the land, animals, workers, and accounts.
Abigail's family hired a bailiff to manage their sheep farm while they lived in London.
bailiff to manage their sheep farm
The bailiff walked the estate every morning, checking the fences and the health of the cattle.
bailiff walked the estate, checking the fences
As bailiff, Folami kept the account books for the manor and paid the farm workers each week.
The duke trusted his bailiff to run the entire Yorkshire estate during the long winter months.
- steward
historically very close in meaning; a steward often managed a grand household as well as the surrounding land
- farm manager
the modern, everyday term for the same job
- land agent
similar but focuses more on rent collection and legal matters than on daily farm work
文法句型
bailiff + of + estate/farm
bailiff + manages/oversees + farm
用法筆記
This sense is now largely historical or literary. It appears mainly in novels, period dramas, and accounts of older British land-ownership. In modern English the role is called a 'farm manager' or 'estate manager'.
常見錯誤
3. a deputy who works under a sheriff, carrying out court orders by serving writs,
a deputy who works under a sheriff, carrying out court orders by serving writs, delivering summonses, and arresting anyone who has defied a court order.
The sheriff sent his bailiff to deliver a writ to a farmer who had ignored three court summonses.
bailiff to deliver a writ
Valentina served as bailiff to the High Sheriff, arresting anyone who missed their court date.
bailiff to the High Sheriff, arresting anyone
The bailiff posted the sheriff's warrants on every door along the rain-soaked main street, working by lantern before the shopkeepers arrived at dawn.
Evelyn watched the bailiff arrest a man on the sheriff's warrant and lead him away in handcuffs.
- deputy sheriff
the standard US term for an officer who assists a sheriff
- sheriff's officer
a British term with the same meaning; used in Scotland and parts of England
文法句型
bailiff + of + sheriff
sheriff's + bailiff
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: a court bailiff (sense 1) works directly for a court and mainly handles debt and document matters, while a sheriff's bailiff (sense 3) works under a sheriff and focuses on executing warrants and making arrests. This sense is now largely historical in the UK; the role has been absorbed by civilian enforcement officers.