Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The largest administrative division of most states in the United States.
- n. A territorial division exercising administrative, judicial, and political functions in Great Britain and Ireland.
- n. The territory under the jurisdiction of a count or earl.
- n. The people living in a county.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Originally, the domain or territory of a count or earl.
- n. Now, a definite division of a country or state for political or administrative purposes. In the United States the county is the political unit next below the State (except in Louisiana, which has an analogous division into parishes). Each county has, generally speaking, one or more courts, a sheriff, treasurer, clerk, and various officials engaged in the administration of justice, etc. The number of counties varies greatly in the different States. England has 40 counties (the greater number of which are also called
shires ), Wales 12, Scotland 33, and Ireland 32. An English county has a lord lieutenant, a custos rotulorum or keeper of records, a sheriff, and other officials. Certain larger British cities are counties in themselves, or counties corporate. Abbreviated Co. or co. - n. Collectively, the inhabitants of a county.
- Of or pertaining to a county: as, county families; county society.
- n. A count; an earl or lord.
Wiktionary
- n. historical The land ruled by a count or a countess.
- n. An administrative region of various countries, including Bhutan, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro and Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- n. A definitive geographic region, without direct administrative functions, as in traditional county.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. obsolete An earldom; the domain of a count or earl.
- n. 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. - n. obsolete A count; an earl or lord.
WordNet 3.0
- n. (United States) the largest administrative district within a state
- n. (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government
Etymologies
- Middle English counte, territorial division, from Old French conte, the territory of a count, from Medieval Latin comitātus, from Late Latin, the office of count, from Latin, retinue, from comes, comit-, companion; see ei- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“MIKE ANTONOVICH, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERVISOR: They want to cash in on this hot real estate market and they want to ship out all of the so-called homeless into other parts of the county.”
“MOOSE: I would encourage us to remember a few hours ago how County Executive Doug Duncan talked about the mood of the people at the Taste of Bethesda, people at soccer games, people at Little League football, people moving about the county.”
“In 1898 he started a County Fair to spur the ambition of the Negro farmers of the county.”
“King County now provides animal services for 34 of 39 cities in the county.”
“If approved by a majority vote, the resolution would request County Executive Pete Kremen draft a letter notifying the city of the county's intent to withdraw from the contract by Jan. From there, the city, county, governments of other cities in the county and EMS providers would have three years to set up a new system - one that Crawford said he hopes gives the county government more control of its oversight.”
“PLAN-Boulder County, a long-time liberal voice in Boulder city and county politics.”
“County Administrator Will Johnson suggested they only do what they call the triangle, which excludes a portion of the north part of the county.”
“Add (New SqlParameter ( "@county", county)) command.”
“Documents sent via UPS • Comfort of constant tracking • County Follow Up • Constantly monitoring until receipt of recorded document from county”
“Garfield County Commissioner Trési Houpt, however, was not present at the meeting in August when the agreement was reached between Williams and the county.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘county’.
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EU - Eurovoc - politics
absolute majority, absolute monarchy, abstentionism, access to informa..., acquisition of arms, action brought be..., action for annulment, action to establi..., ad hoc committee, adjournment, adjournment motion, administration and 965 more...
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Realia from Everywhere
Culturally defined terms and expressions from the four corners of the world
fjord, mistral steppe, tornado, tsunami, polder, kiwi, koala, sequoia, Abominable Snowman, paprika, spaghetti, empanada and 299 more...
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Basic English Vocabulary
Very basic words for ESL students.
contemplate, container, consumer, consultant, consensus, conscious, conscience, connection, confusion, confront, conflict, confident and 4334 more...
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Legislationie: The Habeas Corpus Act ...
An act for the better securing the liberty of the subject, and for prevention of imprisonments beyond the seas.
WHEREAS great delays have been used by sheriffs, gaolers and other offi...of the peace, the hand and seal of, signed and sealed, jurisdiction, hath, order, recognizances, cognizable, properly, city, county, gaol-delivery and 120 more...
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the urban planner
Large-scale humanity. From small settlements, to nations, to regions within a larger region.
confederacy, federation, republic, kingdom, emirate, fief, monarchy, sovereignty, realm, principality, domain, oligarchy and 25 more...
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Y'all come back now!
Words that remind me of Grandma's.
mosquito, kudzu, potluck, mud, famous, county, honey, sugar, sweetie, reckon, loblolly, bakelite and 15 more...
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MEC1 Lesson 115
aid, attourney, bachelor, blast, brawl, claim, county, crime-ridden, defendant, deny, despite, directory and 29 more...
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New Words
New Words - Building my own vocabulary
brownfield, greenfield, behalf, pet peeve, lead time, mock, proxy, craftsman, cliff, Nimble, Awkward, craftsmanship and 85 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for county.

BrainyBabe If the county made a habit of shaking hands with chars, however could one know whom not to know? - ''Yashima, or, The Gorgeous West'' by R T Sherwood, 1931.
(NB the definite article, meaning the landed gentry) Dec 23, 2008