squire

American  

[skwahy^uhr] / skwaɪər /

noun

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

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

3. a personal attendant, as of a person of rank.

4. a man who accompanies or escorts a woman.

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

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verb (used with object)

squired, squiring

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

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

squire British  

/ skwaɪə /

noun

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

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

3. rare a man who courts or escorts a woman

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

5. an immature snapper See snapper

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• squireless adjective
• squirelike adjective
• unsquired adjective

Etymology

Origin of squire

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

Related Words

• attendant