Shrieves

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of officer responsible for maintaining order and enforcing law within a jurisdiction
2. a historical title for a sheriff or similar official charged with local governance and justice
3. an archaic term referencing a person acting in a supervisory capacity, particularly in relation to documented records or community oversight

Etymology: "Shrieves" is the plural of "shrieve," an older English form of "sheriff," so its history is really the history of the sheriff's office. The word "sheriff" comes from Old English "scīrgerēfa," literally "shire-reeve": "scīr" meaning shire, the county division, and "gerēfa" meaning reeve, an official or steward. The shire-reeve was the king's chief officer in a county, responsible for collecting royal revenues and keeping the peace. Over the centuries the word wore down in speech, with "shrieve" as one of its earlier worn forms, while "sheriff" became the standard spelling. The plural "shrieves" is the form that the older word would take when more than one county official was meant.

Synonyms: sheriffs, officials, law officers