alguazil means an officer of the law in Spain or Latin America. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
alguazil is pronounced /al(ɡ)wəˈzɪl/.
Why “alguazil” is a great word
ALGUAZIL — [Noun] A law-enforcement officer in Spain or Latin America, or the mounted official who maintains ceremonial order in a bullring. From Early Modern Spanish and Portuguese 'alguazil', from Arabic اَلْوَزِير (al-wazīr, "minister, vizier"). Doublet of 'vizier' and 'wazir'. First attested in English in 1670. Unlike a vizier, who counsels in palaces, or a sheriff, who commands a county, an alguazil is a figure of localized, often theatrical authority. It is the stern, black-clad horseman receiving the arena key from the mayor; the sharp whistle that halts a matador’s misstep; and the echo of a Moorish minister’s title now reduced to managing the precise choreography of risk and tradition—a minor vizier presiding over a contained and violent kingdom.
Etymology
From Early Modern Spanish and Portuguese alguazil, from Arabic اَلْوَزِير (al-wazīr, “minister, vizier”). Doublet of vizier and wazir.
noun
- An officer of the law in Spain or Latin America.
- An official who maintains order during a bullfight and ensures that the rules are followed; a referee.