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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Shire \Shire\, n. [AS. sc[imac]re, sc[imac]r, a division,
province, county. Cf. {Sheriff}.]
1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the
supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually
identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a
smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire,
Hallamshire.
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An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a
county or shire. --Blackstone.
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2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous
townships; a county. [U. S.]
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Note: Shire is commonly added to the specific designation of
a county as a part of its name; as, Yorkshire instead
of York shire, or the shire of York; Berkshire instead
of Berks shire. Such expressions as the county of
Yorkshire, which in a strict sense are tautological,
are used in England. In the United States the composite
word is sometimes the only name of a county; as,
Berkshire county, as it is called in Massachusetts,
instead of Berks county, as in Pensylvania.
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The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and
Thames separate the counties of Northumberland,
Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc. --Encyc.
Brit.
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{Knight of the shire}. See under {Knight}.

{Shire clerk}, an officer of a county court; also, an under
sheriff. [Eng.]

{Shire mote} (Old. Eng. Law), the county court; sheriff's
turn, or court. [Obs.] --Cowell. --Blackstone.

{Shire reeve} (Old Eng. Law), the reeve, or bailiff, of a
shire; a sheriff. --Burrill.

{Shire town}, the capital town of a county; a county town.

{Shire wick}, a county; a shire. [Obs.] --Holland.
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County \Coun"ty\ (koun"t[y^]), n.; pl. {Counties} (-t[i^]z). [F.
comt['e], fr. LL. comitatus. See {Count}.]
1. An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [Obs.]
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2. A circuit or particular portion of a state or kingdom,
separated from the rest of the territory, for certain
purposes in the administration of justice and public
affairs; -- called also a {shire}. See {Shire}.
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Every county, every town, every family, was in
agitation. --Macaulay.
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3. A count; an earl or lord. [Obs.] --Shak.
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{County commissioners}. See {Commissioner}.

{County corporate}, a city or town having the privilege to be
a county by itself, and to be governed by its own sheriffs
and other magistrates, irrespective of the officers of the
county in which it is situated; as London, York, Bristol,
etc. [Eng.] --Mozley & W.

{County court}, a court whose jurisdiction is limited to
county.

{County palatine}, a county distinguished by particular
privileges; -- so called a palatio (from the palace),
because the owner had originally royal powers, or the same
powers, in the administration of justice, as the king had
in his palace; but these powers are now abridged. The
counties palatine, in England, are Lancaster, Chester, and
Durham.

{County rates}, rates levied upon the county, and collected
by the boards of guardians, for the purpose of defraying
the expenses to which counties are liable, such as
repairing bridges, jails, etc. [Eng.]

{County seat}, a county town. [U.S.]

{County sessions}, the general quarter sessions of the peace
for each county, held four times a year. [Eng.]

{County town}, the town of a county, where the county
business is transacted; a shire town.
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