Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A nobleman ranking below an earl or count and above a baron.
  • noun Used as a title for such a nobleman.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Formerly, an officer who acted as deputy of a count or earl in the management of the affairs of the county; the sheriff of a county.
  • noun A degree or title of nobility next in rank below that of earl, and immediately above that of baron.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (O. Eng. Law) An officer who formerly supplied the place of the count, or earl; the sheriff of the county.
  • noun engraving A nobleman of the fourth rank, next in order below an earl and next above a baron; also, his degree or title of nobility. See Peer, n., 3.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A member of the peerage above a baron but below a count or earl.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a British peer who ranks below an earl and above a baron
  • noun (in various countries) a son or younger brother or a count

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French visconte, from Medieval Latin vicecomes, vicecomit- : Late Latin vice-, vice- + Late Latin comes, occupant of any state office; see count.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman viscounte, from Medieval Latin vicecomes. Equivalent to vice- + count.

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Examples

  • Before we pull the rug out from under the Covingtons, Arthur especially, Terence needs to decide if he really wants the designation of viscount.

    Almost a Whisper Charlene Cross 1994

  • Before we pull the rug out from under the Covingtons, Arthur especially, Terence needs to decide if he really wants the designation of viscount.

    Almost a Whisper Charlene Cross 1994

  • Thus the word viscount was in Latin vice-comes, in itself a terrible admission.

    Punch, or the London Charivari, May 27, 1914 Various 1898

  • 'The viscount is not supposed to have been unrivalled in the young lady's favour.

    Belinda 1801

  • But I held firm, and in the end I got a couple of old duchesses and something called a viscount (you don't pronounce the s, which I learned by putting my foot in my mouth) behind the one-way mirror.

    Royal Pain 2004

  • But I held firm, and in the end I got a couple of old duchesses and something called a viscount (you don't pronounce the s, which I learned by putting my foot in my mouth) behind the one-way mirror.

    Royal Pain 2004

  • The viscount is the one whose jewels you just stole.

    Not So Innocent Laura Lee Guhrke 2002

  • The viscount is the one whose jewels you just stole.

    Not So Innocent Laura Lee Guhrke 2002

  • The wife of a marquess is a marchioness, the wife of an earl is a countess earl is the British equivalent of count, the wife of a viscount is a viscountess, the wife of a baron is a baroness.

    Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage PAUL R. MARTIN 2002

  • The viscount is the one whose jewels you just stole.

    Not So Innocent Laura Lee Guhrke 2002

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