Sheriff
/ˈʃɛr.ɪf/noun
A county law officer or chief local executive in some regions.
Did you know?A sheriff was originally the royal official who collected debts, enforced law, and represented the crown in a shire—so the title still carries the ghost of medieval authority.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
scīrgerēfa
“shire reeve; the royal officer in charge of a shire”
Late Old English
OE
scīr- and gerēfa
“literally "shire" + "reeve" (administrator or bailiff)”
Middle English
ME
sherreve / shrive
“county officer; local royal representative”
14th Century
Anglo-French
shirreve / sherreve
“county officer, especially the chief law officer of a shire”
Modern English
English
sheriff
“a county law officer or chief executive in some jurisdictions”