Marshal Meaning
/ˈmɑː(ɹ)ʃəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA high-ranking officer in the household of a medieval prince or lord, who was originally in charge of the cavalry and later the military forces in general.
nameAn English and Scottish status surname from Middle English for someone who was in charge of the horses of a royal household, or an occupational surname for someone who looked after horses, or was responsible for the custody of prisoners.
Sentence Examples
I will marshal a fair amount of scientific data to support my argument.
US Marshal Tom Jackson is determined to recover the fugitive.
You don't need a college degree to be a sky marshal.
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the Wild West, the person keeping order in town was the ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The fire ____ investigated the cause of the blaze and found that it had been started by an electrical fault.
Word Origin & History
From marshal.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Where stands Marshal Chiang Kai-shek in this conflict of opinion concerning the tactics which China should adopt towards the aggressor? Chiang Kai-shek, according to officials who know his mind with whom I have talked, is all for resistance- as soon as he thinks he can win!"
— 1936, H. Hessell Tiltman, The Far East Comes Nearer, Jarrolds, page 249:
"Nothing could be more business-like than the construction of the stout dams, and nothing more gently rural than the limpid lakes, with the grand old forest trees marshalled round their margins like a veteran army that had marched down to drink, only to be stricken motionless at the water’s edge."
— 1913, Robert Barr, chapter 4, in Lord Stranleigh Abroad:
"Within a blue garter inscribed "Great Northern Railway Ireland" is a shield, on which are marshalled the arms of the principal towns in the company's area. The shield is divided quarterly with the arms of Dublin in the first quarter, Londonderry in the second quarter, Enniskillen in the third, and Belfast in the fourth; and overall is a gold inescutcheon (a small shield placed in the centre of the large shield) charged with the red left hand of Ulster."
— 1956 July, Col. H. C. B. Rogers, “Railway Heraldry”, in Railway Magazine, pages 476-477:
"This train is formed only of "Blue Spot" wagons for London; vans for Mac Fisheries Finsbury Park depot are marshalled at the rear to be detached at Finsbury Park."
— 1963 December, “The fish traffic of Aberdeen”, in Modern Railways, page 389:
"Our conquering ſwords ſhal marſhal vs the way
UUe vſe to martch vpon the ſlaughtered foe:
Trampling their bowels with our horſes hoofes: […]"
— c. 1587–1588 (date written), [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire; London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act III, scene iii:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
In the Wild West, the person keeping order in town was the ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The fire ____ investigated the cause of the blaze and found that it had been started by an electrical fault.