noun, plural tip·staves [tip-steyvz] /ˈtɪpˌsteɪvz/, tip·staffs.
- an attendant or crier in a court of law.
- a staff tipped with metal, formerly carried as a badge of office, as by a constable.
- any official who carried such a staff.
noun
- a court official having miscellaneous duties, mostly concerned with the maintenance of order in court
- a metal-tipped staff formerly used as a symbol of office
n.1540s, “tipped staff” (truncheon with a tip or cap of metal) carried as an emblem of office, from tip (n.) + staff (n.). As the name of an official who carries one (especially a sheriff’s officer, bailiff, constable, court crier, etc.) it is recorded from 1560s.