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DictionaryreeveLocal official
noun

reeve

REEV/riːv/

A local government official or magistrate.

The reeve listens to villagers in the medieval market square.

A local medieval English official listening to villagers in a small market square, historically grounded clothing and buildings, no written signage.
Etymology
reeveOld Englishking’s officer

Old English gerefa named a royal officer administering a town or district. The medieval title also applied to a manor’s manager or steward; its deeper origin is unknown.

In context

drtedsherman21:38
the merchant okay the miller the reeve this is the largest group in terms of the number of travelers that are going
Chaucer/Wife of Bath Lecture 1

More examples

  • Villagers brought the boundary dispute to the reeve.
  • The manor's reeve supervised the harvest.
  • Records named the reeve responsible for the local accounts.

Forms

reeve · reeves

Similar words

bailiff
A bailiff's duties vary by period and jurisdiction; reeve names a historical local English office.
sheriff
Sheriff is a distinct office whose name historically included reeve; reeve alone is broader.