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shire
[ shahyuhr ]
/ ʃaɪər /
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noun
one of the counties of Great Britain.
the Shires, the counties in the Midlands in which hunting is especially popular.
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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Origin of shire
before 900; Middle English; Old English scīr office of administration, jurisdiction of such an office, county
OTHER WORDS FROM shire
subshire, nounun·der·shire, nounWords nearby shire
shipwreck, shipwright, shipyard, shiralee, Shiraz, shire, Shire Highlands, shire horse, Shirer, shirk, shirker
Other definitions for shire (2 of 3)
Shire
[ shahyuhr ]
/ ʃaɪər /
noun
one of an English breed of large, strong draft horses having a usually brown or bay coat with white markings.
Origin of Shire
1875–80; apparently so called because it was bred in the shires, i.e., those counties of west and central England whose names end in -shire
Other definitions for shire (3 of 3)
Shiré
[ shee-rey ]
/ ˈʃi reɪ /
noun
a river in SE Africa, flowing S from Lake Malawi to the Zambezi River. 370 miles (596 km) long.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use shire in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for shire (1 of 3)
shire1
/ (ʃaɪə) /
noun
- one of the British counties
- (in combination)Yorkshire
(in Australia) a rural district having its own local council
See shire horse
the Midland counties of England, esp Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, famous for hunting, etc
Word Origin for shire
Old English scīr office; related to Old High German scīra business
British Dictionary definitions for shire (2 of 3)
shire2
/ (ʃaɪə) /
verb
(tr) Ulster dialect to refresh or restlet me get my head shired
Word Origin for shire
from Old English scīr clear
British Dictionary definitions for shire (3 of 3)
Shire
Shir
/ (ˈʃɪəreɪ) /
noun
a river in E central Africa, flowing from Lake Malawi through Malawi and Mozambique to the Zambezi. Length: 596 km (370 miles)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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