What does constable mean?
Word: Constable
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Constable means a police officer of the lowest rank.
Synonyms: policeman, policewoman, officer
How do you spell constable?
Syllables: con - sta - ble
Tricky part: The first syllable sounds like kun, but it is spelt con-, just as London is said lun-dun but spelt with o's.
Watch out for: cunstable, kunstable, constible
Memory tip: Read the first part the way it is spelt, CON, in your head, even though you say kun out loud.
Constable in a sentence
Example 1: The constable wrote down the details of the lost bicycle.
Example 2: A constable gave directions to the tourists outside the museum.
Example 3: My uncle joined the police as a constable thirty years ago.
Fun Fact
Constable comes from the Latin comes stabuli, which meant officer of the stable, a royal servant who once looked after the horses.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Probe
One word in the sentence is misspelt. Which option gives the meaning of that word?
The constabel at the school gate stopped the traffic so that the younger children could cross safely.
a) a police officer of the lowest rank
b) to go from one side of something to the other
c) the cars, buses and lorries on a road
d) an opening in a wall or fence that can be shut
Show answer
a) a police officer of the lowest rank. Constabel should end in -ble, like table; a constable is a police officer.
Jumble Tumble
Choose the correct sequence of the jumbled letters to form a meaningful word:
tobleancs 123456789
a) 915374628
b) 216438597
c) 356928147
d) 827916345
Show answer
d) 827916345. Taking letters 8, 2, 7, 9, 1, 6, 3, 4, 5 in that order rebuilds constable.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) jurnalist
b) pharmacist
c) architect
d) constable
Show answer
a) jurnalist. Journalist starts with jour, like journal; constable, architect and pharmacist are correct.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with the correct options:
1. constable 2. surgeon 3. cashier a. a doctor who does operations b. a person who handles money in a shop or bank c. an ordinary police officer who patrols an area
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. A constable patrols, a surgeon operates, and a cashier handles money.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is a constable most likely to do?
a) Teach a maths lesson
b) Repair a broken phone
c) Bake bread for a shop
d) Patrol a market on foot
Show answer
d) Patrol a market on foot
2. Which rank is higher than a constable?
a) inspector
b) recruit
c) cadet
d) trainee
Show answer
a) inspector
