Dictionary

squire en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈskwaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskwaɪɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English esquire, from Old French escuier, from Latin scūtārius (“shield-bearer”), from scūtum (“shield”).

Meanings

1. A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
   • A Squire he had, whose name was Ralph[.] 1663, Samuel Butler, Hudibras, London, page 18:
2. (error-lua-exec) A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See esquire.
3. A male attendant on a great personage.
4. (historical) A landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period.
   • Third Suitor was Young Country Squire, well born, Perſon indifferent, Cloaths (fondly worn)[.] 1684, John Harington, The Grecian Story, London: William Crook, page 89:
5. A devoted attendant or follower of a lady; a beau.
6. A title of office and courtesy. See under esquire.
7. (UK, colloquial) A term of address to a male equal.
   • Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of parrots. 1969, Dead Parrot sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus:
8. An Australian snapper (Chrysophrys auratus), a food fish also found in eastern Asia.
9. A grass emperor (Lethrinus laticaudis), of coral reefs of the western Pacific.

Forms

Deriveds

squirely · squiredom · squirelet · squarson · squireling · squire of dames · squarsonage · squirish · unsquire · squirefish · squiralty · squirelike · squireless · squirearchy · squirehood · squiress · squireship · apple-squire

Synonyms

silver seabream · Pagrus auratus

Translations (92)

mk мо́мок (male attendant on a great personage) · it castellano (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · ms khadam (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · cmn 紳士 /绅士 (male attendant on a great personage) · hu fegyverhordozó (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · fr valet (male attendant on a great personage) · frp êcuyer (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · pl esquire (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · fi aseenkantaja (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · ru эсква́йр (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · hu fegyvernök (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · de Kavalier (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · ru кавале́р (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · eo varleto (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · pl dziedzic (male attendant on a great personage) · ru сквайр (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · fr majordome (male attendant on a great personage) · mk чорба́џија (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · fr escorte (male follower of a lady) · hu úr (title of office and courtesy) · es escudero (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · sv vapendragare (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · lt ginklanešys (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · fi seuralainen (male follower of a lady) · io skudiero (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · pl kawaler (male follower of a lady) · de Verehrer (male follower of a lady) · de Schildknecht (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · pt escudeiro (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · es armígero (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · ru оружено́сец (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · de Schildknappe (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · ro moșier (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · nl schildknaap (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · scn scuteri (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · de Knappe (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · pl pan na włościach (historical: landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period) · da kavaler (male follower of a lady) · mk штито́носец (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · grc ἱπποκόμος (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · bg оръжено́сец (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · fr écuyer (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · es mona sabio (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · cmn 侍衛 /侍卫 (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · it gentiluomo (title of office and courtesy) · fr écuyer (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · yue 侍衛 /侍卫 (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · de Edelknecht (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · da væbner (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · it gentiluomo (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · pl giermek (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · ru господи́н (title of office and courtesy) · de Kavalier (male follower of a lady) · es escudero armífero (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · it nobiluomo m di campagna (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · de Liebhaber (male follower of a lady) · ru поме́щик (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · fi herra (title of office and courtesy) · gl escudeiro (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · bg кавалер (male follower of a lady) · pl pan (title of office and courtesy) · fi kavaljeeri (male follower of a lady) · ru камерди́нер (male attendant on a great personage) · it scudiero (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · fr seigneur (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · hu uraság (title of office and courtesy) · es mono sabio (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · hu udvarló (male follower of a lady) · es monosabio (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · mk го́сподин (title of office and courtesy) · fr châtelain (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · mk оруже́носец (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · fr cavalier (male follower of a lady) · sv väpnare (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · es monosabia (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · hu gavallér (male follower of a lady) · pl dziedzic (historical: landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period) · gl escudeiro (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · be збраяносец (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · cmn 侍從 /侍从 (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · it maggiordomo (male attendant on a great personage) · fr sigisbée (male follower of a lady) · it valletto (male attendant on a great personage) · hu földesúr (historical: landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period) · ca escuder (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · de Galan (male attendant on a great personage) · it cicisbeo (male follower of a lady) · ru кавале́р (male follower of a lady) · la armiger (armor-bearer who attended a knight) · hu lovag (male follower of a lady) · nl jonkheer (title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman; esquire) · kk атқосшы (armor-bearer who attended a knight)

squire en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

• /ˈskwaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskwaɪɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English esquire, from Old French escuier, from Latin scūtārius (“shield-bearer”), from scūtum (“shield”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To attend as a squire.
2. (transitive) To attend as a beau, or gallant, for aid and protection.
   • And raising good cotton, riding well, shooting straight, dancing lightly, squiring the ladies with elegance and carrying one’s liquor like a gentleman were the things that mattered. 1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter I, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC:
   • Yes, such a thing as thou wouldst make of me should wear a book at his girdle instead of a poniard, and might just be suspected of manhood enough to squire a proud dame-citizen to the lecture at Saint Antonlin’s, and quarrel in her cause with any flat-capped threadmaker that would take the wall of her. 1821 January 8, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Kenilworth; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, […]; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:
   • Perceiving, however, that I had on my best wig, she offered, if I would ’squire her there, to send home the footman. 1759 October 23 (Gregorian calendar), [Oliver] Goldsmith, “On Dress”, in The Bee, a Select Collection of Essays, on the Most Interesting and Entertaining Subjects, […], new edition, London: […] W[illiam] Lane, […], published c. 1790, →OCLC:
   • A butch entered squiring a blonde whore tottering along on spike heels under dairy whip hair, her chubby hand rising again and again to tuck a stray wisp back into the creamy dome. 1988, Edmund White, chapter 6, in The Beautiful Room is Empty, New York: Vintage International, published 1994:
   • [O]n ſome occaſions, he diſplayed all his fund of good humour, vvith a vievv to beguile her ſorrovv; he importuned her to give him the pleasure of ’ſquiring her to ſome place of innocent entertainment; and, finally, inſiſted upon her accepting a pecuniary reinforcement to her finances, vvhich he knevv to be in a moſt conſumptive condition. 1753, [Tobias Smollett], “Count Fathom Unmasks His Battery; is Repulsed; and Varies His Operations without Effect”, in The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom. […], volume II, London: […] W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, pages 107–108:
   • To man a lady was, in former times, a phrase similar to the vulgar one at present in use, to squire. 1812, Henry [William] Weber, “The Spanish Curate”, in [John Fletcher, Philip Massinger], edited by Henry Weber, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Company, for F. C. and J. Rivington; [et al.], Act IV, scene vii, footnote 3, page 326:

Forms

Synonyms

escort

squire en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

• /ˈskwaɪə/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈskwaɪɚ/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English squire, borrowed from Middle French esquierre (“rule, carpenter's square”), or from Old French esquire, another form of esquarre (“square”). Cognate with French équerre. Doublet of square.

Meanings

1. (obsolete) A ruler; a carpenter's square; a measure.
   • do not you know my lady's foot by the squire. c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], line 474:
   • as for a workman not to know his axe, saw, squire, or any other toole, […]. 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
   • twelve foot and a half by the squire. c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 348:
   • But temperaunce, said he, with golden squire, / Betwixt them both can measure out a meane. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Forms