constable

Everyday

1. (UK, Ireland, Australia, NZ, Canada) A police officer of the lowest rank; often written PC (police constable), as in «PC Smith». tree →
2. (history) An important officer in a medieval castle or a royal court (the Constable of the Tower of London). tree →
3. (US) A local law officer in some small towns. tree →
4. (a name) John Constable was an English painter famous for landscapes like «The Hay Wain» (1821). tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life and safety lessons, a police constable might visit school to talk about road safety or online safety. In history, castles had a constable in charge when the lord was away. In art lessons, Constable's paintings show the English countryside. It tells the reader about a police officer, a castle officer or the painter.

Examples

• PC Jones came to talk to us about bike safety. tree →
• The constable directed the traffic after the crash. tree →
• The Constable of the castle guarded it for the king. tree →
• We copied John Constable's painting of a hay cart in a river. tree →
• Police constables patrol the town centre. tree →
• The chief constable leads a whole police force in Britain. tree →

Note

Countable: a constable, constables. Say «KUN-stuh-bul». «Chief Constable» is the head of a UK police force, not the lowest rank. If you are lost or in danger, a police officer is someone you can ask for help.