Shire

Definition of Shire

n.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.
An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a county or shire.
- Blackstone.
2.A division of a State, embracing several contiguous townships; a county.
The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and Thames separate the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc.
- Encyc. Brit.
Knight of the shire
See under Knight.
Shire clerk
an officer of a county court; also, an under sheriff.
Shire mote
(Old. Eng. Law) the county court; sheriff's turn, or court.
Shire reeve
(Old Eng. Law) the reeve, or bailiff, of a shire; a sheriff.
- Cowell.
Shire town
the capital town of a county; a county town.
- Burrill.
Shire wick
a county; a shire.
- Holland.

Related Words

Kreis, archbishopric, archdiocese, arrondissement, bailiwick, bishopric, borough, canton, city, commune, congressional district, constablewick, county, departement, diocese, district, duchy, electoral district, electorate, government, hamlet, hundred, magistracy, metropolis, metropolitan area, oblast, okrug, parish, precinct, principality, province, region, riding, sheriffalty, sheriffwick, shrievalty, soke, stake, state, territory, town, township, village, wapentake, ward
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