lawman

From Middle English laweman, laȝaman (as a man's name, Laȝamon, Layamon), from Old English lahmann, borrowed from Old Norse lǫgmaðr. In present use as a law-enforcement officer, law +‎ -man.^[1]

• (UK) enPR: lômăn, lômən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɔːmæn/, /ˈlɔːmən/
• (US) enPR: lômăn, lômən, IPA^(key): /ˈlɔmæn/, /ˈlɔmən/
• Rhymes: -ɔːmən

lawman (plural lawmen)

1. (law, historical) A lawspeaker: a declarer of the law.
2. (law, historical) One of 12 magistrates in certain Danish boroughs of England empowered with soc and sac over their own households.
3. (law, Orkney and Shetland) The presiding justice of the supreme court.
4. (rare) A man of the law: a lawyer.
5. (informal) An officer of the law: a law-enforcement officer.

• (speaker of the law): lawspeaker
• (medieval Dano-English magistrates): lageman, lagman
• (Orcadian & Shetlandic chief justice): lawman-general, lagman
• (law-enforcement officer): See Thesaurus:police officer

From the same root as law but with the suffix -man.

lawman

1. crazy person