1. MARSHAL, N.
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{dag}1.    a. One who tends horses; esp. one who treats their
diseases, a farrier. (Cf. horse-marshal s.v. HORSE n. 28.)    b. A
shoeing smith. [F. maréchal vétérinaire, maréchal ferrant.] Obs.

    2. One of the chief functionaries of a royal household or court; in
the middle ages usually entrusted with the military affairs of his
sovereign.    a. A high officer of state in England; now EARLMARSHAL,
q.v. Formerly also Marshal of England, High, King's, Lord Marshal.

    b. (Usually with spelling marischal.) A similar high officer of
state in Scotland.

  The office was hereditary in the family of Keith, and from 1458 the
holder had the peerage title of Earl Marischal. The office became
extinct by the attainder of George 10th Earl Marischal in 1716.

    c. Earl Marshal of Ireland: a title conferred in 1574 upon Walter
Devereux, Earl of Essex.

    3. As a title of military rank.    {dag}a. In early use employed
vaguely: A commander, general. Subsequently (esp. in the forms marshal
of the field or camp, FIELD-MARSHAL), an officer of a definite rank,
which varied according to period and country. Obs.

    b. A general officer of the highest rank in certain foreign armies.
Often as prefixed title. (In 18th c. usually with semi-Fr. spelling
mareschal.)

  In the French army the full designation is Maréchal de France
(Englished Marshal of France).

    {dag}c. An officer in some military orders. Obs.

    d. Designating an officer of high rank in the Royal Air Force, as
Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air
Vice-Marshal; also {dag}Marshal of the Air (obs.).

    4.    {dag}a. An officer of a court of law answerable for the charge
and custody of prisoners and for the keeping of order, and frequently
entrusted with the keeping of a prison. Also Marshal of the Exchequer,
of the King's (or Queen's) Bench. Obs.

  These officers obtained the title as being deputies of the Marshal of
England (see 2a).

    b. marshal of the admiralty: an officer of the Court of Admiralty.

    c. judge's marshal: an official (now usually a barrister) who
accompanies a judge on circuit, and is charged with certain duties
chiefly secretarial.

    5. a. An officer charged with the arrangement of ceremonies, esp.
with the ordering of guests at a banquet, etc. (in this use often {dag}marshal
of the hall).

  In the English royal household the `Marshal of the ceremonies' is now
an official of the Lord Chamberlain's department, ranking below the `Master
of the ceremonies'.

    {dag}b. marshal of the King's (or Queen's) house; = knight marshal
(see 6b). Obs.

    c. (More fully City marshal.) An officer of the corporation of the
City of London. (See quot.)

    6. knight marshal.    {dag}a. A military officer, with functions
corresponding to those of quartermaster; often used to render L.
tribunus militum. Obs.    b. Hist. An officer of the English royal
household, who had judicial cognizance of transgressions `within the
king's house and verge', i.e. within a radius of twelve miles from the
king's palace. The office was abolished in 1846.

    7. The title of various functionaries charged with certain police
duties, or with the office of superintending the infliction of
punishment.    {dag}a. = PROVOST-MARSHAL. Obs.

    {dag}b. Naut. An official on board ship who superintends the
carrying out of punishments. Obs.

    8. In English university use.    a. Oxford. The chief of the
proctors' attendants or `bulldogs'.    b. Cambridge. Each of two
officials appointed by the Vice-chancellor to act as his messengers, to
summon meetings, etc.

    9. U.S.    a. `In America, a civil officer, appointed by the
President and Senate of the United States, in each judicial district,
answering to the sheriff of a county. His duty is to execute all
precepts directed to him, issued under the authority of the United
States' (Webster 1828-32).

    b. marshal-at-arms: an official in the House of Representatives
corresponding to the English sergeant-at-arms.

    c. An officer of a body of men or a society appointed to regulate
its ceremonies, etc.; e.g. fire-marshall, the chief officer of a fire
brigade.

    ¶10. For marshal court, law, see MARTIAL a., COURT-MARTIAL.

2. MARSHAL, V.
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I.    {dag}1. trans. To tend (horses) as a farrier. Also, to `doctor'
or `fake up' for sale. Obs.

    II. Senses relating to MARSHAL n. 3 and 5.

    2. trans. To arrange, place, or rank in order at a feast, table,
etc.

    {dag}b. To put in a certain company, among or with certain people.
Obs.

    {dag}c. To arrange (a banquet). Also with up. Obs.

    3. Her. To combine (two or more coats of arms) in one escutcheon, so
as to form a single composition; also, to associate (accessories) with a
coat of arms, so as to form a complete heraldic composition.

    4. To arrange or draw up (soldiers) in order for fighting, exercise,
or review; to arrange in a body or procession; to arrange (competitors)
for a race, etc.

    b. transf. and fig.

    {dag}c. To marshal soldiers along (streets). Obs.

    d. refl. and intr. To take up positions in or as in a military array
or a procession.

    5. trans. To dispose, arrange or set (things, material or
immaterial) in methodical order.

  Now chiefly with some metaphorical notion of an armed force or a
procession; in the 17th c. used much more freely.

    b. Comm. To arrange (assets or securities) according as they are
available to meet various kinds of claims.

    c. U.S. `To arrange (the cars of a freight-train) in proper station
order' (Cent. Dict.).

    6. To usher, guide (a person) on his way; to lead as harbinger; to
conduct ceremoniously; also (nonce-use) to point out (the way).

    Hence {sm}marshalling ppl. a.

3. MARSHAL
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obs. form of MARTIAL.