shire
one of the counties of Great Britain.
the Shires, the counties in the Midlands in which hunting is especially popular.
Origin of shire
1Other words from shire
- subshire, noun
- un·der·shire, noun
Other definitions for Shire (2 of 3)
one of an English breed of large, strong draft horses having a usually brown or bay coat with white markings.
Origin of Shire
2Other definitions for Shiré (3 of 3)
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. 2024
How to use shire in a sentence
So I made him come down with me to Englehart, that dear old country seat of my family in the Western shires which was now mine.
Uncanny Tales | VariousEven in times long before shires had been dreamed of, it is certain that the river must have been an important tribal boundary.
The Cornwall Coast | Arthur L. SalmonThe wish to return to the obedience of Rome lingered indeed among some of the clergy and in the northern shires.
History of the English People | John Richard GreenNo town 'ouse for four seasons—rustygettin' in the shires, not a soul but two boys under me.
The Foundations (Fourth Series Plays) | John GalsworthyThen it became a desert in the summer, and no guests were seen there, till the pink coats flocked down again into the shires.
Phineas Finn | Anthony Trollope
British Dictionary definitions for shire (1 of 3)
/ (ʃaɪə) /
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
Origin of shire
1British Dictionary definitions for shire (2 of 3)
/ (ʃaɪə) /
(tr) Ulster dialect to refresh or rest: let me get my head shired
Origin of shire
2British Dictionary definitions for Shire (3 of 3)
Shir
/ (ˈʃɪəreɪ) /
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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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