| 释义 |
shire
I. \ˈshī(ə)r, -īə, ˈshi(ə)r, -iə, as the last element in place-name compounds ˌshi(ə)r or -iə or _shə(r)\ noun
Etymology: Middle English shir, shire, from Old English scīr office, appointment, district, shire; akin to Old High German scīra care, official charge
1. -s : an administrative subdivision of land: as
a. : a district made up of a number of smaller districts and ruled by an alderman and a sheriff in England before the Norman Conquest
b. : a county in the British Isles especially in England
c. : an administrative subdivision of colonial America
d. : a country area in Australia that has been incorporated for local government and embraces a tract of agricultural or grazing territory including one or more small towns and villages
2.
a. usually capitalized : a British breed of large heavy draft horses usually brown or bay with white markings and heavily feathered legs
b. also shire horse -s often capitalized S : a horse of the Shire breed
 [shire 2]
II. transitive verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
: to divide (a region) into shires |