Beadle \Bea"dle\, n. [OE. bedel, bidel, budel, OF. bedel, F. bedeau, fr. OHG. butil, putil, G. b["u]ttel, 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.]

Note: 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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)