Bea"dle (&?;), n. [OE. bedel,
bidel, budel, OF. bedel, F. bedeau, fr. OHG.
butil, putil, G. büttel, fr. OHG. biotan,
G. bieten, to bid, confused with AS. bydel, the same word as
OHG. butil. See. Bid, v.]
1. A messenger or crier of a court; a servitor; one
who cites or bids persons to appear and answer; -- called also an
apparitor or summoner.
2. An officer in a university, who precedes public
processions of officers and students. [Eng.]
&fist; In this sense the archaic spellings bedel (Oxford) and
bedell (Cambridge) are preserved.
3. An inferior parish officer in England having a
variety of duties, as the preservation of order in church service, the
chastisement of petty offenders, etc.
