Dean of the Arches
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The judge presiding over the Court of Arches. See ARCHES.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Dean of the Arches” mean?
The judge presiding over the Court of Arches. See ARCHES.
Is “Dean of the Arches” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.