Bea"dle (&?;), n. [OE.
bedel, bidel, budel, OF. bedel, F. bedeau, fr. OHG. butil, putil, G. büttel, fr. OHG.
biotan, G. bieten, to
bid, confused with AS. bydel, the same word as
OHG. butil. See. Bid, v.]
1. A messenger or crier of a court; a servitor; one who cites or bids persons to appear and
answer; -- called also an apparitor or summoner.
2. An officer in a
university, who precedes
public processions of officers
and students. [Eng.]
&fist; In this
sense the archaic spellings bedel
(Oxford) and bedell
(Cambridge) are preserved.
3.
An inferior parish officer in England having a variety of
duties, as the preservation of order in church service, the chastisement of petty offenders, etc.
Hear it pronounced