/ ˈmɑːʃl; NAmE ˈmɑːrʃl/ noun , verb
■ noun
1.
(usually in compounds) an officer of the highest rank in the British army or air force :
Field Marshal Lord Haig
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
—see also air chief marshal , air marshal , air vice-marshal , field marshal
2.
a person responsible for making sure that public events, especially sports events, take place without any problems, and for controlling crowds
SYN steward
3.
(in the US) an officer whose job is to put court orders into effect :
a federal marshal
4.
(in some US cities) an officer of high rank in a police or fire department
■ verb ( -ll- , US -l- ) [ vn ] ( formal )
1.
to gather together and organize the people, things, ideas, etc. that you need for a particular purpose
SYN muster :
They have begun marshalling forces to send relief to the hurricane victims.
to marshal your arguments / thoughts / facts
2.
to control or organize a large group of people :
Police were brought in to marshal the crowd.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English (denoting a high-ranking officer of state): from Old French mareschal farrier, commander, from late Latin mariscalcus , from Germanic elements meaning horse (compare with mare ) and servant.