noun
sheriff
SHAIR-if/ˈʃerɪf/
A law-enforcement official serving a county or similar local area.
The sheriff speaks with two residents outside the county office.
Etymology
A sheriff was literally a shire's reeve, an official representing royal authority within a district. The county-level jurisdiction survives in the American office, though the selected sense identifies an elected law-enforcement official.
In context
involvement led sheriff Marku to see the need and become a key law enforcement partner in the statewide prescription drug take-back collection program
More examples
- She was elected sheriff last fall.
- The sheriff's deputies searched the missing hiker's route.
- Several county sheriffs attended the training.
Forms
sheriff · sheriffs