Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A Scottish municipal officer corresponding to an English alderman.
- noun Obsolete A bailiff.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun . A bailiff.
- noun In Scotland: The chief magistrate of a barony or part of a county, having functions equivalent to those of a sheriff. A municipal officer or magistrate, corresponding to an alderman in England.
- noun An obsolete spelling of
bailey . - noun See
baily .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun An officer in Scotland, whose office formerly corresponded to that of sheriff, but now corresponds to that of an English alderman.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Scotland A
bailiff
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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I mention them because it is supposed that a bailie is the most important human being in Scotland, and he feels it his duty not to yield to emotion.
Kate Carnegie and Those Ministers Ian Maclaren 1878
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_ -- In Scotland the word bailiff has taken the form of "bailie," signifying a superior officer or magistrate of a municipal corporation.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 2 "Baconthorpe" to "Bankruptcy" Various
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The porter of Kinfauns, who knew from a distance the persons and characters of the party, had already opened the courtyard gate for their entrance, and sent notice to Sir Patrick Charteris that the eldest bailie of Perth, with some other good citizens, were approaching the castle.
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“Free and safe as a Whig bailie on the causeway of his own borough, or a canting Presbyterian minister in his own pulpit; and I came to tell you that you need not remain in hiding any longer.”
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I speak to our worthy and eldest bailie, Craigdallie, according to my poor mind.
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“Bring the stout smith to the council house,” said the bailie, as a mounted yeoman pressed through the crowd and whispered in his ear, “Here is a good fellow who says the Knight of Kinfauns is entering the port.”
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The power of the baron-bailie himself, though the office was vested in the person of old
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
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You are to recollect, gentle reader, that as soon as the bailie and those who attended him saw that the smith had come up to the forlorn bonnet maker, and that the stranger had retreated, they gave themselves no trouble about advancing further to his assistance, which they regarded as quite ensured by the presence of the redoubted Henry Gow.
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Down the stairs he ran (for the parlour was nae place for him after such a word) and he heard the laird swearing blood and wounds behind him, as fast; as ever did Sir Robert, and roaring for the bailie and the baron-officer.
Redgauntlet 2008
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To the general compliment the elder bailie replied.
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