squire

[skwahyuh r]

See more 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.

Origin of squire

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

Related formssquire·less, adjectivesquire·like, adjectiveun·squired, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for squired

Historical Examples

And it will not be out of the fashion of the time that a lady should be 'squired by an armed soldier.
Horse-Shoe Robinson
John Pendleton Kennedy
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
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
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
Not even Trudy knew that he had actually adopted a monocle and squired Beatrice round in state.
The Gorgeous Girl
Nalbro Bartley

British Dictionary definitions for squired

squire

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

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

Word Origin and History for squired

squire

n.

late 13c., "young man who attends a knight," later "member of the landowning class ranking below a knight" (c.1300), from Old French esquier "squire," literally "shield carrier" (see esquire). Meaning "country gentleman, landed proprietor" is from 1670s; as a general term of address to a gentleman, it is attested from 1828.

squire

v.

"to attend (a lady) as a gallant," late 14c., from squire (n.). Related: Squired; squiring.

squire

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}squire

Examples from the Web for squired

Historical Examples

And it will not be out of the fashion of the time that a lady should be 'squired by an armed soldier.

But for Ralph's fear for his neck, which had increased in value since its devotion to Veronica, he would have squired his cousin.

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.

Even Mrs. Theobald, squired by Mr. Kingcroft, had braved the journey from Yorkshire to bid her only daughter good-bye.

Not even Trudy knew that he had actually adopted a monocle and squired Beatrice round in state.

squire

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for squired

squire

n.

squire

v.

Origin of squire