Esquire definitions and example sentences on Wordnik

View all »
Definitions (14)

American Heritage Dictionary (4)

noun A man or boy who is a member of the gentry in England ranking directly below a knight.
noun Used as an honorific usually in its abbreviated form, especially after the name of an attorney or a consular officer: Jane Doe, Esq.; John Doe, Esq.
noun In medieval times, a candidate for knighthood who served a knight as an attendant and a shield bearer.

1 more from this dictionary »

Century Dictionary (6)

A shield-bearer or armor-bearer; an armiger; an attendant on a knight. See squire, 1.
A title of dignity next in degree below that of knight. In England this title is properly given to the eldest sons of knights and the eldest sons of the younger sons of noblemen and their eldest sons in succession, officers of the king's courts and of the household, barristers, justices of the peace while in commission, sheriffs, gentlemen who have held commissions in the army and navy, etc. There are also esquires of knights of the Bath, each knight appointing three at his installation. The title is now usually conceded to all professional and literary men. In the United States the title is regarded as belonging especially to lawyers. In legal and other formal documents Esquire is usually written in full after the names of those considered entitled to the designation; in common usage it is abbreviated Esq. or Esqr., and appended to any man's name as a mere mark of respect, as in the addresses of letters (though this practice is becoming less prevalent than formerly). In the general sense, and as a title either alone or prefixed to a name, the form Squire has always been the more common in familiar use. See squire. I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of this county, and one of the king's justices of the peace. Shak., 2 Hen. IV., iii. 2. Esquires and gentlemen are confounded together by Sir Edward Coke, who observes that every esquire is a gentleman, and a gentleman is defined to be one qui anna gerit, who bears coat-armour, the grant of which was thought to add gentility to a man's family. It is indeed a matter somewhat unsettled what constitutes the distinction, or who is a real esquire; for no estate, however large, per se confers this rank upon its owner. 1 Broom and Had. Com. (Wait's ed.), p. 317. The office of the esquire consisted of several departments; the esquire for the body, the esquire of the chamber, the esquire of the stable, and the carving esquire; the latter stood in the hall at dinner, carved the different dishes, and distributed them to the guests. Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 10. It makes an important practical difference to an Englishman, by the way, whether he is legally rated as Esquire or “Gentleman,” the former class being exempt from some burthensome jury duties to which the latter is subject. C. A. Bristed, English University, p. 408, note.
A gentleman who attends or escorts a lady in public.

3 more from this dictionary »

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (2)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

The word esquire is a synonym of squire and derives from it, but it is a couple of centuries younger.
In the USA the term esquire is associated with lawyers.
I was advised by the Cardinal de Lenoncourt and my first esquire, the Chevalier Salviati, who were of the same party, not to stir without a passport; but, as I suspected a plan was laid to entrap me, I resolved to set out the next morning. — Memoirs And Historical Chronicles Of The Courts Of Europe
Since Chaucer received no more favours than did the average esquire, there is no particular reason to suppose that he had any patron. — CHAUCER'S OFFICIAL LIFE
That notion likes me well Your Majesty might take me as your esquire, or page," added the boy, trembling lest he should have brought his master's wrath down burning upon his head Hah!" — The King's Esquires The Jewel of France

More examples »

Add a related word »
Related

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the Same Context

aide-de-camp · chamberlain · contador · attorney-general · gold-toothed · henchman · councillor · cross-bow · go-between · equerry · confidant · sidekick

Etymologies (4)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Middle English esquier, from Old French escuier, from Late Latin scūtārius, shield bearer, from Latin scūtum, shield; see skei- in Indo-European roots.

Century Dictionary (3)

from Old French esquier, escuier, escuyer, an esquire, shield-bearer, also a shield-maker, modern F. ecuyer = Provencal escudier, escuder, escuier = Spanish escudero = Portuguese escudeiro = Italian scudiere, scudiero, from Middle Latin scutarius, a squire, a shield-bearer, shield-maker, from Latin scutum, a shield: see scutum, scute, scutage, escutcheon, scutcheon, etc. Hence, by apheresis (though actually older in English), squire, q. v.
from esquire, n.
from Old French esquiere, esquierre, esquarre, a square: see square and squire.

esquire

View all »
Definitions (14)

American Heritage Dictionary (4)

Century Dictionary (6)

GNU Webster's 1913 (2)

WordNet (2)

Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word »
Related

Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the Same Context

Etymologies (4)

American Heritage Dictionary (1)

Century Dictionary (3)

Pronunciations
Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

esquire

View all » Definitions (14)

View all » Examples (50)

Tags

Stats

stop updating On Twitter

Photos from

Add a related word » Related

synonyms:

Etymologies (4)

Pronunciations Record your own »

Charts

Recently looked up

Recent Favorites

Recent Pronunciations

View all »
Definitions (14)

View all »
Examples (50)

stop updating
On Twitter

Add a related word »
Related

Pronunciations
Record your own »