sheriff

[ sher-if ]

noun

1. the law-enforcement officer of a county or other civil subdivision of a state.
2. (formerly) an important civil officer in an English shire.

sheriff

/ ˈʃɛrɪf /

noun

1. (in the US) the chief law-enforcement officer in a county: popularly elected, except in Rhode Island
2. (in England and Wales) the chief executive officer of the Crown in a county, having chiefly ceremonial duties shrieval
3. (in Scotland) a judge in any of the sheriff courts
4. (in Australia) an administrative officer of the Supreme Court, who enforces judgments and the execution of writs, empanels juries, etc
5. (in New Zealand) an officer of the High Court

Derived Forms

• ˈsheriffdom, noun

Other Words From

• sher·iff·dom [sher, -if-d, uh, m], noun
• sub·sheriff noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheriff¹

before 1050; Middle English sher ( r ) ef, Old English scīrgerēfa. See shire, reeve ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sheriff¹

Old English scīrgerēfa, from scīr shire ¹+ gerēfa reeve ¹

Example Sentences

The Sheriff’s Department did not say whether the bag’s contents or the method of defusing it caused the flash.

From Los Angeles Times

Initially, the Sheriff’s Department referred all further questions to the Torrance Police Department, which did not respond to a request for comment.

From Los Angeles Times

Later in the day, the Sheriff’s Department said in a news release that its own Arson Explosives Detail was investigating, with assistance from the FBI.

From Los Angeles Times

A suspicious bag seemingly abandoned on a bench prompted the shutdown of the Torrance courthouse early Wednesday and drew the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad to the scene.

From Los Angeles Times

Authorities said the incident started around 7:30 a.m., when the Sheriff’s Department responded to a call for service at the courthouse on Maple Avenue, a few hundred feet from both the Torrance Police Department and Torrance City Hall.

From Los Angeles Times