squire
UK /ˈskwaɪə/ · US /ˈskwaɪɚ/ noun, verb, proper noun
Forms squires squiring squired
- noun A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
- noun A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See esquire.
- noun A male attendant on a great personage.
- noun (historical) A landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period.
- noun A devoted attendant or follower of a lady; a beau.
- noun A title of office and courtesy. See under esquire.
- noun (UK, colloquial) A term of address to a male equal.
- noun An Australian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), a food fish also found in eastern Asia.
- verb (transitive) To attend as a squire.
- verb (transitive) To attend as a beau, or gallant, for aid and protection.
- noun (obsolete) A ruler; a carpenter's square; a measure.
- proper noun A surname originating as an occupation.
- proper noun An unincorporated community in McDowell County, West Virginia, United States.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English esquire, from Old French escuier, from Latin scūtārius (“shield-bearer”), from scūtum (“shield”).
From Middle English squire, borrowed from Middle French esquierre (“rule, carpenter's square”), or from Old French esquire, another form of esquarre (“square”). Cognate with French équerre. Doublet of square.
Webster’s 1913
- noun A square; a measure; a rule. [Obs.] "With golden squire." Spenser.
- noun A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
- noun A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See Esquire. [Eng.] "His privy knights and squires." Chaucer.
- verb To attend as a squire. Chaucer.
Etymology [OF. esquierre, F. équerre. See Square, n.]
Etymology [Aphetic form of esquire.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “squire”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details