squire

[ skwahyuhr ]

/ skwaɪər /

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See synonyms for squire on Thesaurus.com

noun

(in England) a country gentleman, especially the chief landed proprietor in a district.

(in the Middle Ages) a young man of noble birth who as an aspirant to knighthood served a knight.

a personal attendant, as of a person of rank.

a man who accompanies or escorts a woman.

a title applied to a justice of the peace, local judge, or other local dignitary of a rural district or small town.

verb (used with object), squired, squir·ing.

to attend as, or in the manner of, a squire.

to escort (a woman), as to a dance or social gathering.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of squire

1250–1300; Middle English squier; aphetic variant of esquire

OTHER WORDS FROM squire

squireless, adjectivesquirelike, adjectiveun·squired, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use squire in a sentence

In retaliation, Scott blatantly squired Moran around Hollywood.
9 Works Inspired by Writers’ Love Lives|Joni Rendon, Shannon McKenna Schmidt|February 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Masham has promised to provide for me: I squired his lady out of her chaise to-day, and must visit her in a day or two.
The Journal to Stella|Jonathan Swift
Not even Trudy knew that he had actually adopted a monocle and squired Beatrice round in state.
The Gorgeous Girl|Nalbro Bartley
Bighorn rams squired their bands of ewes on the plateaus and pinnacles above timber line.
The Yellow Horde|Hal G. Evarts

Even Mrs. Theobald, squired by Mr. Kingcroft, had braved the journey from Yorkshire to bid her only daughter good-bye.
Where Angels Fear to Tread|E. M. Forster
But for Ralph's fear for his neck, which had increased in value since its devotion to Veronica, he would have squired his cousin.
Romance|Joseph Conrad and F.M. Hueffer

British Dictionary definitions for squire

squire

/ (skwaɪə) /

noun

a country gentleman in England, esp the main landowner in a rural community

feudal history a young man of noble birth, who attended upon a knight

rare a man who courts or escorts a woman

informal, mainly British a term of address used by one man to another, esp, unless ironic, to a member of a higher social class

Australian an immature snapperSee snapper (def. 2)

verb

(tr) (of a man) to escort (a woman)

Word Origin for squire

C13: from Old French esquier; see esquire

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

squire

Origin of squire

OTHER WORDS FROM squire

Words related to squire

How to use squire in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for squire

Word Origin for squire