lawman

See also: Lawman

English

Etymology

From Middle English laweman, laȝaman (as a man's name, Laȝamon, Layamon), from Old English lahmann, borrowed from Old Norse lǫgmaðr. In present use as a law-enforcement officer, law +‎ -man.

Pronunciation

• (UK) enPR: lômăn, lômən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɔːmæn/, /ˈlɔːmən/
• (US) enPR: lômăn, lômən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɔmæn/, /ˈlɔmən/
• Rhymes: -ɔːmən

Noun

lawman (plural lawmen)

1. (law, historical) A lawspeaker: a declarer of the law.
2. (law, historical) One of 12 magistrates in certain Danish boroughs of England empowered with soc and sac over their own households.
3. (law, Orkney and Shetland) The presiding justice of the supreme court.
4. (rare) A man of the law: a lawyer.
5. (informal) An officer of the law: a law-enforcement officer.

Synonyms

• (speaker of the law): lawspeaker
• (medieval Dano-English magistrates): lageman, lagman
• (Orcadian & Shetlandic chief justice): lawman-general, lagman
• (law-enforcement officer): See Thesaurus:police officer

Translations

a lawspeaker

• Latin: lagemannus m
• Old Frisian: āsega m
• Old High German: ēwasago m
• Old Saxon: ēosago m

a medieval Dano-English magistrate

• Latin: lagemannus m

lawyer — see lawyer

an officer of the law

• French: homme de loi (fr) m
• Polish: stróż prawa (pl) m
• Russian: представи́тель зако́на m (predstavítelʹ zakóna), сотру́дник правоохрани́тельного о́ргана m (sotrúdnik pravooxranítelʹnovo órgana), суде́бный исполни́тель m (sudébnyj ispolnítelʹ) (sheriff, executor, officer of justice)

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From the same root as law but with the suffix -man.

Noun

lawman

1. crazy person