dog-whipper
1. An official formerly employed to whip dogs out of a church or chapel. Locally retained, as an appellation of a sexton or beadle.
| 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse Wks. (1883–4) 127 It were verie good the dogwhipper in Paules would haue a care of this. 1721 Audit-Bk. Christ's Coll. in Willis & Clark Cambridge (1886) III. 520 Paid Salmon the Dogwhipper a year ending at Mich. last 1. 0. 0. 1869 Lonsdale Gloss., Dog-whipper, a church beadle. 1887 Kentish Gloss., Dog-whipper, the beadle of a church, whose duty it was, in former days, to whip the dogs out of church. 1888 in Sheffield Gloss. |
2. Humorously applied to a university proctor in allusion to his ‘bull-dogs’.
| 1789 J. Wolcott (P. Pindar) Subj. for Paint. Wks. 1812 II. 204 Attended by each Dog-whipper called Proctor. |