catchpole

/ˈkætʃˌpoʊl/
noun
  1. A historical officer, especially a sheriff's deputy, who arrested people for debt or other legal matters.
    • In medieval England, a catchpole would seize the property of those who owed money.
    • The village feared the catchpole, who came with a warrant for unpaid taxes.
    • The old book described a catchpole dragging a debtor to the town jail.
What does "catchpole" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean