noun
- plural of bedel; officers in some universities (especially Oxford and Cambridge) who maintain order and carry out ceremonial duties.
Usage: chiefly British; academic/institutional context
Examples
- The bedels processed in their formal robes during the university ceremony.
- Oxford's bedels are responsible for maintaining discipline in the examination halls.
- The senior bedel announced the beginning of the academic procession.
- Bedels at Cambridge have served as ceremonial officers for centuries.
- The bedels wore their traditional chains of office at the graduation.