Berkshire
UK /ˈbɑːk.ʃə/ · US /ˈbɜɹk.ʃəɹ/ proper noun, noun
Forms Berks Brks. Berkshires
- proper noun An inland county of England, bounded by Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Greater London and Wiltshire.
- proper noun A community in Sandy Hook, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut.
- proper noun A town in Tioga County, New York.
- proper noun An unincorporated community and township in Delaware County, Ohio.
- proper noun A town in Franklin County, Vermont.
- noun A breed of pig from Berkshire county.
- noun (rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement.
Etymology
From Middle English Barrokschire, Berchesire, Barrokshyre, Berrucsire, from Old English Bearrocsċīr. The first element is possibly from Proto-Brythonic *barrọg, perhaps meaning “hilly” (compare *barros (“hill, peak, top”)) + Old English sċīr (“shire, county”).
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “Berkshire”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details