Nearby Words

tipstaves

[tip-staf, -stahf] Origin

tip·staff

[tip-staf, -stahf]
noun, plural -staves [-steyvz] , -staffs.
1.
an attendant or crier in a court of law.
2.
a staff tipped with metal, formerly carried as a badge of office, as by a constable.
3.
any official who carried such a staff.

Origin:
1535–45; shortened form of earlier tipped staff; see tip1, -ed3, staff1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Tipstaves is always a great word to know.
So is zedonk. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

tipstaff
1540s, "tipped staff" (truncheon with a tip or cap of metal) carried as an emblem of office, from tip (n.) + staff. As the name of an official who carries one (esp. a sheriff's officer, bailiff, constable, court crier, etc.) it is recorded from 1560s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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