[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

constable \con"stable\ ko^n"st.ab'l or
   ku^n"st.ab'l, n. oe. conestable, constable, a
   constable in sense 1, of. conestable, f. conn'etable, ll.
   conestabulus, constabularius, comes stabuli, orig., count of
   the stable, master of the horse, equerry; comes count l.
   companion + l. stabulum stable. see count a nobleman, and
   stable.
   1. a high officer in the monarchical establishments of the
      middle ages.
      1913 webster

   note: the constable of france was the first officer of the
         crown, and had the chief command of the army. it was
         also his duty to regulate all matters of chivalry. the
         office was suppressed in 1627. the constable, or lord
         high constable, of england, was one of the highest
         officers of the crown, commander in chief of the
         forces, and keeper of the peace of the nation. he also
         had judicial cognizance of many important matters. the
         office was as early as the conquest, but has been
         disused except on great and solemn occasions, since
         the attainder of stafford, duke of buckingham, in the
         reign of henry viii.
         1913 webster

   2. law an officer of the peace having power as a
      conservator of the public peace, and bound to execute the
      warrants of judicial officers. --bouvier.
      1913 webster

   note: in england, at the present time, the constable is a
         conservator of the peace within his district, and is
         also charged by various statutes with other duties,
         such as serving summons, precepts, warrants, etc. in
         the united states, constables are town or city officers
         of the peace, with powers similar to those of the
         constables of england. in addition to their duties as
         conservators of the peace, they are invested with
         others by statute, such as to execute civil as well as
         criminal process in certain cases, to attend courts,
         keep juries, etc. in some cities, there are officers
         called high constables, who act as chiefs of the
         constabulary or police force. in other cities the title
         of constable, as well as the office, is merged in that
         of the police officer.
         1913 webster

   high constable, a constable having certain duties and
      powers within a hundred. eng.

   petty constable, a conservator of the peace within a parish
      or tithing; a tithingman. eng.

   special constable, a person appointed to act as constable
      of special occasions.

   to overrun the constable, or outrun the constable, to
      spend more than one's income; to get into debt. colloq.
      --smollett.
      1913 webster
see also:
count stable high constables high constable petty constable special constable 
to overrun the constable outrun the constable 

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

high \high\, a. compar. higher; superl. highest. oe.
   high, hegh, hey, heh, as. he'ah, h?h; akin to os. h?h,
   ofries. hag, hach, d. hoog, ohg. h?h, g. hoch, icel. h?r, sw.
   h"og, dan. h"oi, goth. hauhs, and to icel. haugr mound,
   g. h"ugel hill, lith. kaukaras.
   1. elevated above any starting point of measurement, as a
      line, or surface; having altitude; lifted up; raised or
      extended in the direction of the zenith; lofty; tall; as,
      a high mountain, tower, tree; the sun is high.
      1913 webster

   2. regarded as raised up or elevated; distinguished;
      remarkable; conspicuous; superior; -- used indefinitely or
      relatively, and often in figurative senses, which are
      understood from the connection; as
      a elevated in character or quality, whether moral or
          intellectual; pre"eminent; honorable; as, high aims,
          or motives. "the highest faculty of the soul."
          --baxter.
      b exalted in social standing or general estimation, or
          in rank, reputation, office, and the like; dignified;
          as, she was welcomed in the highest circles.
          1913 webster

                he was a wight of high renown.    --shak.
      c of noble birth; illustrious; as, of high family.
      d of great strength, force, importance, and the like;
          strong; mighty; powerful; violent; sometimes,
          triumphant; victorious; majestic, etc.; as, a high
          wind; high passions. "with rather a high manner."
          --thackeray.
          1913 webster

                strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand.
                                                  --ps. lxxxix.
                                                  13.
          1913 webster

                can heavenly minds such high resentment show?
                                                  --dryden.
          1913 webster
      e very abstract; difficult to comprehend or surmount;
          grand; noble.
          1913 webster

                both meet to hear and answer such high things.
                                                  --shak.
          1913 webster

                plain living and high thinking are no more.
                                                  --wordsworth.
      f costly; dear in price; extravagant; as, to hold goods
          at a high price.
          1913 webster

                if they must be good at so high a rate, they
                know they may be safe at a cheaper. --south.
      g arrogant; lofty; boastful; proud; ostentatious; --
          used in a bad sense.
          1913 webster

                an high look and a proud heart . . . is sin.
                                                  --prov. xxi.
                                                  4.
          1913 webster

                his forces, after all the high discourses,
                amounted really but to eighteen hundred foot.
                                                  --clarendon.
          1913 webster

   3. possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or
      superior degree; as, high i. e., intense heat; high i.
      e., full or quite noon; high i. e., rich or spicy
      seasoning; high i. e., complete pleasure; high i. e.,
      deep or vivid color; high i. e., extensive, thorough
      scholarship, etc.
      1913 webster

            high time it is this war now ended were. --spenser.
      1913 webster

            high sauces and spices are fetched from the indies.
                                                  --baker.
      1913 webster

   4. cookery strong-scented; slightly tainted; as, epicures
      do not cook game before it is high.
      1913 webster

   5. mus. acute or sharp; -- opposed to grave or low; as,
      a high note.
      1913 webster

   6. phon. made with a high position of some part of the
      tongue in relation to the palate, as =e =eve, =oo
      f=ood. see guide to pronunciation, sectsect 10,
      11.
      1913 webster

   high admiral, the chief admiral.

   high altar, the principal altar in a church.

   high and dry, out of water; out of reach of the current or
      tide; -- said of a vessel, aground or beached.

   high and mighty arrogant; overbearing. colloq.

   high art, art which deals with lofty and dignified subjects
      and is characterized by an elevated style avoiding all
      meretricious display.

   high bailiff, the chief bailiff.

   high church,  low church, two ecclesiastical parties in
      the church of england and the protestant episcopal church.
      the high-churchmen emphasize the doctrine of the apostolic
      succession, and hold, in general, to a sacramental
      presence in the eucharist, to baptismal regeneration, and
      to the sole validity of episcopal ordination. they attach
      much importance to ceremonies and symbols in worship.
      low-churchmen lay less stress on these points, and, in
      many instances, reject altogether the peculiar tenets of
      the high-church school. see broad church.

   high constable law, a chief of constabulary. see
      constable, n., 2.

   high commission court, a court of ecclesiastical
      jurisdiction in england erected and united to the regal
      power by queen elizabeth in 1559. on account of the abuse
      of its powers it was abolished in 1641.

   high day script., a holy or feast day. --john xix. 31.

   high festival eccl., a festival to be observed with full
      ceremonial.

   high german, or high dutch. see under german.

   high jinks, an old scottish pastime; hence, noisy revelry;
      wild sport. colloq. "all the high jinks of the county,
      when the lad comes of age." --f. harrison.

   high latitude geog., one designated by the higher
      figures; consequently, a latitude remote from the equator.
      

   high life, life among the aristocracy or the rich.

   high liver, one who indulges in a rich diet.

   high living, a feeding upon rich, pampering food.

   high mass. r. c. ch. see under mass.

   high milling, a process of making flour from grain by
      several successive grindings and intermediate sorting,
      instead of by a single grinding.

   high noon, the time when the sun is in the meridian.

   high place script., an eminence or mound on which
      sacrifices were offered.

   high priest. see in the vocabulary.

   high relief. fine arts see alto-rilievo.

   high school. see under school.

   high seas law, the open sea; the part of the ocean not in
      the territorial waters of any particular sovereignty,
      usually distant three miles or more from the coast line.
      --wharton.

   high steam, steam having a high pressure.

   high steward, the chief steward.

   high tea, tea with meats and extra relishes.

   high tide, the greatest flow of the tide; high water.

   high time.
      a quite time; full time for the occasion.
      b a time of great excitement or enjoyment; a carousal.
          slang

   high treason, treason against the sovereign or the state,
      the highest civil offense. see treason.
      1913 webster

   note: it is now sufficient to speak of high treason as
         treason simply, seeing that petty treason, as a
         distinct offense, has been abolished. --mozley  w.

   high water, the utmost flow or greatest elevation of the
      tide; also, the time of such elevation.

   high-water mark.
      a that line of the seashore to which the waters
          ordinarily reach at high water.
      b a mark showing the highest level reached by water in a
          river or other body of fresh water, as in time of
          freshet.

   high-water shrub bot., a composite shrub iva
      frutescens, growing in salt marshes along the atlantic
      coast of the united states.

   high wine, distilled spirits containing a high percentage
      of alcohol; -- usually in the plural.

   to be on a high horse, to be on one's dignity; to bear
      one's self loftily. colloq.

   with a high hand.
      a with power; in force; triumphantly. "the children of
          israel went out with a high hand." --ex. xiv. 8.
      b in an overbearing manner, arbitrarily. "they governed
          the city with a high hand." --jowett thucyd. .

   syn: tall; lofty; elevated; noble; exalted; supercilious;
        proud; violent; full; dear. see tall.
        1913 webster
see also:
higher highest grave low high admiral high altar 
high and dry high and mighty high art high bailiff high church 
low church broad church high constable constable high commission court 
high day high festival high german high dutch german 
high jinks high latitude high life high liver high living 
high mass mass high milling high noon high place 
high priest high relief alto-rilievo high school school 
high seas high steam high steward high tea high tide 
high time high treason treason high water high-water mark 
high-water shrub iva frutescens high wine to be on a high horse with a high hand 
tall 

[3] : Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)

high constable. an officer appointed in some cities bears this name. his 
powers are generally limited to matters of police, and are not more 
extensive in these respects than those of constables. q.v. 

Constable >> C Words
Constable, definition of term: Constable
constable_pag1.html

High >> H Words
High, definition of term: High
high_pag1.html

High Quality >> H Words
High Quality, definition of term: High Quality
high+quality_pag1.html

High School >> H Words
High School, definition of term: High School
high+school_pag1.html

High Pressure >> H Words
High Pressure, definition of term: High Pressure
high+pressure_pag1.html

High Spirits >> H Words
High Spirits, definition of term: High Spirits
high+spirits_pag1.html

High Technology >> H Words
High Technology, definition of term: High Technology
high+technology_pag1.html

High Treason >> H Words
High Treason, definition of term: High Treason
high+treason_pag1.html

High Time >> H Words
High Time, definition of term: High Time
high+time_pag1.html

High Tide >> H Words
High Tide, definition of term: High Tide
high+tide_pag1.html

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