Shire town

Shire town
Shire Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Hallamshire. [1913 Webster]

An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a county or shire. --Blackstone. [1913 Webster]

2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous townships; a county. [U. S.] [1913 Webster]

Note: Shire is commonly added to the specific designation of a county as a part of its name; as, Yorkshire instead of York shire, or the shire of York; Berkshire instead of Berks shire. Such expressions as the county of Yorkshire, which in a strict sense are tautological, are used in England. In the United States the composite word is sometimes the only name of a county; as, Berkshire county, as it is called in Massachusetts, instead of Berks county, as in Pensylvania. [1913 Webster]

The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and Thames separate the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc. --Encyc. Brit. [1913 Webster]

{Knight of the shire}. See under {Knight}.

{Shire clerk}, an officer of a county court; also, an under sheriff. [Eng.]

{Shire mote} (Old. Eng. Law), the county court; sheriff's turn, or court. [Obs.] --Cowell. --Blackstone.

{Shire reeve} (Old Eng. Law), the reeve, or bailiff, of a shire; a sheriff. --Burrill.

{Shire town}, the capital town of a county; a county town.

{Shire wick}, a county; a shire. [Obs.] --Holland. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • shire town — noun the town or city that is the seat of government for a shire • Syn: ↑county town • Regions: ↑United Kingdom, ↑UK, ↑U.K., ↑Britain, ↑United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ↑Great Br …   Useful english dictionary

  • shire town — noun Date: 15th century 1. British a town that is the seat of the government of a shire 2. New England a town where a court of superior jurisdiction (as a circuit court or a court with a jury) sits …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Shire — Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a smaller …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shire clerk — Shire Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shire mote — Shire Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shire reeve — Shire Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shire wick — Shire Shire, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • shire — County Coun ty (koun t[y^]), n.; pl. {Counties} ( t[i^]z). [F. comt[ e], fr. LL. comitatus. See {Count}.] 1. An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] 2. A circuit or particular portion of a state or kingdom, separated from …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Shire of Murchison — Western Australia Location in Western Australia Population …   Wikipedia

  • Shire of Croydon — Queensland Location within Queensland Population …   Wikipedia

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