marshal

[[t]mɑ͟ː(r)ʃ(ə)l[/t]]

marshals, marshalling, marshalled

(in AM, use marshaling, marshaled)

1) VERB If you marshal people or things, you gather them together and arrange them for a particular purpose.

[V n] Richard was marshalling the doctors and nurses, showing them where to go.

[V n] ...the way in which Britain marshalled its economic and political resources to protect its security interests.

Syn:

organize

2) N-COUNT A marshal is an official who helps to supervise a public event, especially a sports event.

The grand prix is controlled by well-trained marshals...

During the demonstration, marshals handed over to the police a young man caught breaking shop windows.

3) N-COUNT In the United States and some other countries, a marshal is a police officer, often one who is responsible for a particular area.

A federal marshal was killed in a shoot-out.

4) N-COUNT A marshal is an officer in a fire department. [AM]

She was ordered out of her home by a fire marshal because the house next door had an explosion from a leaking gas main.

5) N-COUNT; N-TITLE In Britain and some other countries, a marshal is an officer who has the highest rank in an army or air force.

...Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross.