From Middle English countee, counte, conte, from Anglo-Norman counté, Old French conté (French comté), from Latin comitātus (“jurisdiction of a count”), from comes (“count, earl”). Cognate with Spanish condado (“county”) and Italian contea (“county”). Doublet of comitatus, borrowed directly from Latin. Mostly displaced native Old English sċīr, whence Modern English shire.
Meanings
Characteristic of a ‘county family’; representative of the gentry or aristocracy of a county.
She was a tall girl and county, with Hilary's walk: she seemed to topple even when she sat. 1979, John Le Carré, Smiley's People, Folio Society, published 2010, page 274:
Susan Dean realises that her secretary, Eleanor Grantly, is much more county than she ever will be, because Eleanor knows all the Barsetshire family connections and is connected herself. 2015, Kate Macdonald, Novelists Against Social Change: Conservative Popular Fiction, 1920-1960, →ISBN:
The other two, like many of her characters, have fallen on harder times: Joan's family has recently lost her father, a small flour-mill owner -- described by a supporter as more "county" than the upstart newcomers who covet their property ... 2007, Heather Julien, Gender and Literacy in Britain, 1847--1987, →ISBN:
Now, in the district around Chipping Carby, the County Families are very County indeed, few more so. 1886, Andrew Lang, The Mark of Cain:
From Middle English countee, counte, conte, from Anglo-Norman counté, Old French conté (French comté), from Latin comitātus (“jurisdiction of a count”), from comes (“count, earl”). Cognate with Spanish condado (“county”) and Italian contea (“county”). Doublet of comitatus, borrowed directly from Latin. Mostly displaced native Old English sċīr, whence Modern English shire.
Meanings
(countable, historical, uncountable) The land ruled by a count or a countess.
The first of the principalities of the Low Countries to take clear shape was the county of Flanders. 2018, Paul Arblaster, A History of the Low Countries:
(countable, uncountable) An administrative or geographical region of various countries, including Bhutan, Canada, China, Croatia, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and 47 of the 50 United States (excluding Alaska, Connecticut, and Louisiana).
Entire states such as California, Illinois and New York are now sanctuaries, as well as major cities and counties such as Fairfax, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and the District of Columbia in the capital region, according to the list. […] FAIR says the county is a sanctuary because it tells police not to ask about immigration status even during an arrest. 2018 May 10, Stephen Dinan, “Half of all Americans now live in ‘sanctuaries’ protecting immigrants”, in The Washington Times:
(countable, uncountable) A definitive geographic region, without direct administrative functions.
traditional county
(US, slang, uncountable) A jail operated by a county government.
Okay gentlemen, you've both been to county before, I'm sure. Here it comes. 1994, Quentin Tarantino, Roger Avary, Pulp Fiction, spoken by The Wolf (Harvey Keitel):
He can't come; he's up in the county for agg assault.
km ស្រុក (administrative region of various countries) · pdc Kaundi (administrative region of various countries) · el επαρχία (administrative region of various countries) · ru о́круг (administrative region of various countries) · gd siorramachd (land ruled by a count or countess) · da grevskab (administrative region of various countries) · pt condado (administrative region of various countries) · an condato (land ruled by a count or countess) · be гра́фства (land ruled by a count or countess) · ru гра́фство (land ruled by a count or countess) · gl condado (land ruled by a count or countess) · ar مُحَافَظَة (administrative region of various countries) · be акру́га (administrative region of various countries) · da amt (administrative region of various countries) · it contea (administrative region of various countries) · el περιφέρεια (administrative region of various countries) · vls groafschap (land ruled by a count or countess) · ur کاؤُنْٹی (administrative region of various countries) · hi शहरिस्तान (administrative region of various countries) · sl grofija (land ruled by a count or countess) · de Grafschaft (administrative region of various countries) · de Grafschaft (land ruled by a count or countess) · ar مُقَاطَعَة (administrative region of various countries) · scn cumitatu (land ruled by a count or countess) · cmn 郡 (administrative region of various countries) · mk грофовија (land ruled by a count or countess) · fi maakunta (administrative region of various countries) · uz graflik (land ruled by a count or countess) · eu konderri (administrative region of various countries) · sk grófstvo (land ruled by a count or countess) · el κομητεία (land ruled by a count or countess) · sq qark (administrative region of various countries) · de Landkreis (administrative region of various countries) · vi quận (administrative region of various countries) · fr comté (land ruled by a count or countess) · uk пові́т (administrative region of various countries) · eo kantono (administrative region of various countries) · nn fylke (administrative region of various countries) · he נָפָה (administrative region of various countries) · it contado (land ruled by a count or countess) · sco coonty (administrative region of various countries) · cs hrabství (land ruled by a count or countess) · fi piirikunta (administrative region of various countries) · de Bezirk (administrative region of various countries) · hy կոմսություն (administrative region of various countries) · nb grevskap (administrative region of various countries) · mk грофовија (administrative region of various countries) · ota قونتلق (land ruled by a count or countess) · nn grevskap (land ruled by a count or countess) · id kabupaten (administrative region of various countries) · fa-ira کُنْتنِشین (land ruled by a count or countess) · fi kreivikunta (administrative region of various countries) · ro județ (administrative region of various countries) · vo grafän (land ruled by a count or countess) · sh грофо̀вија (land ruled by a count or countess) · mk грофовство (land ruled by a count or countess) · hy կոմսություն (land ruled by a count or countess) · scn cuntatu (land ruled by a count or countess) · de Qark (administrative region of various countries) · hi काउण्टी (administrative region of various countries) · oc comtat (land ruled by a count or countess) · ca comtat (administrative region of various countries) · tr kontluk (land ruled by a count or countess) · uk гра́фство (land ruled by a count or countess) · enm erldom (land ruled by a count or countess) · kk графтық (land ruled by a count or countess) · km ស្រុក (land ruled by a count or countess) · lt grafystė (land ruled by a count or countess) · eo graflando (land ruled by a count or countess) · es condado (administrative region of various countries) · sv grevskap (land ruled by a count or countess) · pt condado (land ruled by a count or countess) · ko 군 (administrative region of various countries) · nl graafschap (administrative region of various countries) · fa-ira شَهْرِسْتان (administrative region of various countries) · fr comté (administrative region of various countries) · lv grāfiste (land ruled by a count or countess) · et maakond (administrative region of various countries) · nb fylke (administrative region of various countries) · es condado (land ruled by a count or countess) · chr ᏍᎦᏚᎩ (administrative region of various countries) · hu megye (administrative region of various countries) · bg гра́фство (land ruled by a count or countess) · ru уе́зд (administrative region of various countries) · it prefettura (administrative region of various countries) · co cuntea (administrative region of various countries) · sv län (administrative region of various countries) · fi lääni (administrative region of various countries) · ca comtat (land ruled by a count or countess) · cmn 伯國 /伯国 (land ruled by a count or countess) · pl hrabstwo (land ruled by a count or countess) · fi kreivikunta (land ruled by a count or countess) · sk okres (administrative region of various countries) · tk graflyk (land ruled by a count or countess) · la comitatus (administrative region of various countries) · tr ilçe (administrative region of various countries) · za yienh (administrative region of various countries) · uk о́круг (administrative region of various countries) · oc comtat (administrative region of various countries) · pl hrabstwo (administrative region of various countries) · ur شَہْرِسْتان (administrative region of various countries) · tg шаҳристон (land ruled by a count or countess) · cdo 縣 /县 (administrative region of various countries) · fr département (administrative region of various countries) · ang sċīr (administrative region of various countries) · vi quận hạt (administrative region of various countries) · cy sir (administrative region of various countries) · nn grevskap (administrative region of various countries) · la-ecc comitatus (land ruled by a count or countess) · bg о́кръг (administrative region of various countries) · ru гра́фство (administrative region of various countries) · ga contae (land ruled by a count or countess) · uk гра́фство (administrative region of various countries) · gd siorramachd (administrative region of various countries) · gd siorrachd (administrative region of various countries) · mk округ (administrative region of various countries) · cs okres (administrative region of various countries) · ja 郡 (administrative region of various countries) · gd siorrachd (land ruled by a count or countess) · nb grevskap (land ruled by a count or countess) · gl condado (administrative region of various countries) · be паве́т (administrative region of various countries) · el κομητεία (administrative region of various countries) · ur شَہْرِسْتان (land ruled by a count or countess) · cmn 縣 /县 (administrative region of various countries) · ar كونتِيّة (land ruled by a count or countess) · eu konderri (land ruled by a count or countess) · ro comitat (land ruled by a count or countess) · ckb دەوڵەت (land ruled by a count or countess) · eo grafujo (land ruled by a count or countess) · enm counte (land ruled by a count or countess) · enm counte (administrative region of various countries) · tg шаҳристон (administrative region of various countries) · tt графлык (land ruled by a count or countess) · it contea (land ruled by a count or countess) · ce графство (land ruled by a count or countess) · et krahvkond (land ruled by a count or countess) · ka საგრაფო (land ruled by a count or countess) · nl graafschap (land ruled by a count or countess) · lv grāfiste (administrative region of various countries) · ca comarca (administrative region of various countries) · el νομός (administrative region of various countries) · mnc ᡥᡳᠶᠠᠨ (administrative region of various countries) · de County (administrative region of various countries) · az qraflıq (land ruled by a count or countess) · eo grafujo (administrative region of various countries) · sh grofòvija (land ruled by a count or countess) · da grevskab (land ruled by a count or countess) · vi hạt (administrative region of various countries) · be гра́фства (administrative region of various countries) · hu grófság (land ruled by a count or countess) · bo རྫོང (administrative region of various countries)