Shire /(?)/

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.
  2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous townships; a county. [U. S.]
    The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and Thames separate the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc.

Phrases & Compounds

Knight of the shire
See under Knight.
Shire clerk
an officer of a county court; also, an under sheriff.
Shire mote
the county court; sheriff's turn, or court.
Shire reeve
the reeve, or bailiff, of a shire; a sheriff.
Shire town
the capital town of a county; a county town.
Shire wick
a county; a shire.