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View synonyms for

shire

1

[ shahyuhr ]

noun

  1. one of the counties of Great Britain.
  2. the Shires, the counties in the Midlands in which hunting is especially popular.


Shire

2

[ shahyuhr ]

noun

  1. one of an English breed of large, strong draft horses having a usually brown or bay coat with white markings.

󾱰é

3

[ shee-rey ]

noun

  1. a river in SE Africa, flowing S from Lake Malawi to the Zambezi River. 370 miles (596 km) long.

Shire

1

/ ˈʃɪəɪ /

noun

  1. 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

shire

2

/ ʃɪə /

noun

    1. one of the British counties
    2. ( in combination )

      Yorkshire

  1. (in Australia) a rural district having its own local council
  2. the Midland counties of England, esp Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, famous for hunting, etc
“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

shire

3

/ ʃɪə /

verb

  1. dialect.
    tr to refresh or rest

    let me get my head shired

“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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Other Word Forms

  • ܲs󾱰 noun
  • ܲd·󾱰 noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shire1

before 900; Middle English; Old English ī office of administration, jurisdiction of such an office, county

Origin of shire2

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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of shire1

Old English ī office; related to Old High German īa business

Origin of shire2

from Old English ī clear
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Labour loyalists and spin doctors will emphasise what is true – the elections being fought at council level are "us fighting in the shires", as one of them said.

From

The CCN represents England's 20 county councils and 17 unitary authorities in shire areas.

From

Rep. Eric Gallager, a Democrat from Concord, also wants to include an official pronunciation of “New Hampshire” in state law to make it clear that “shire” rhymes with “fur” not “fire.”

From

A pair of orphaned racehorse foals have been adopted by a shire horse in Devon.

From

“I lived in a shire,” said Kobabe, whose father and mother carved beads, weaved and sewed in a rustic community not far from this Northern California town.

From

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ShirazShire Highlands