I. noun
also mar·shall ˈmärshəl, ˈmȧsh-
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English marshal, mareschal, from Old French mareschal, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German marahscalc keeper of the horses, marshall, from marah horse + scalc servant; akin to Old English scealc servant, Old Saxon skalk, Gothic skalks; perhaps akin to Middle High German schel jumping, angry, Old High German scelo stallion, Old Norse skelkr fear, Sanskrit śalabha grasshopper, Lithuanian šuolỹs gallop; basic meaning: to jump — more at mare
1.
a.
(1) : a high official in the household of a medieval king, prince, or noble originally having charge of the cavalry and ranking subordinate to the constable but later usually the chief officer in command of the military forces
(2) : a great officer of state in various countries whose office was historically a continuation or development of the preceding but whose status came to be primarily honorary with only nominal or occasional duties — see earl marshal
b.
(1) : any of various royal household officers of high rank charged with the arrangement of ceremonies or with other duties
(2) : a person who arranges and directs the ceremonial aspects of any gathering
2. : a military commander or general: as
a. : field marshal
b. : a general officer of the highest rank in some armies (as of France)
c. : an officer of the British Royal Air Force equivalent in rank to a field marshal in the army
3.
a. : an officer having charge of prisoners: as
(1) archaic : an officer of a British law court having charge of prisoners and sometimes being keeper of a prison
(2) : knight marshal
(3) : provost marshal
b.
(1) : a ministerial officer appointed for each judicial district of the United States to execute the process of the courts and perform various duties similar to those of a sheriff
(2) : a law officer in some cities (as New York) of the United States entrusted with particular duties (as serving the process of justices' courts)
c.
(1) : the administrative head of the police or fire department in some cities of the United States
(2) : fire marshal
4. obsolete : one in charge of horses especially in respect to care of their diseases, shoeing, and grooming : groom , farrier
II. verb
also marshall “
( marshaled or marshalled ; marshaled or marshalled ; marshaling or marshalling -sh(ə)liŋ ; marshals )
Etymology: Middle English marshallen, from marshal, n.
transitive verb
1. : to dispose (as people) in order : place in proper rank or position
marshaling the troops for a review
marshaled the peers to the head of the line
2. : to arrange in order according to some planned or natural scheme
carefully marshaling his arguments
as
a. : to dispose (the parts of an heraldic composition) in due order
b.
(1) : to fix the order of (assets) with respect to liability or availability for payment of obligations
(2) : to fix the order of (claimants) with respect to priority of claims against a debtor's assets
c. : to assemble and dispatch (the constituent elements of a railway train) usually in a marshaling or classification yard
3. : to lead with ceremony : usher , direct
intransitive verb
: to take form or order
ideas marshaling neatly
especially : to take one's place in a formal or ceremonious order
footmen marshaled at the butler's heels
Synonyms: see order