knight of the shire

noun

plural knights of the shire
1
: a knight selected by the freeholders to represent a shire in the House of Commons especially in medieval times
the knight of the shire was the connecting link between the baron and the shopkeeperT. B. Macaulay
2
: a parliamentary representative from a shire or county as distinguished from a representative of a city or a borough
the number of knights of the shire was increased to 159T. E. May

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

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Dictionary Entries Near knight of the shire

Cite this Entry

“Knight of the shire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knight%20of%20the%20shire. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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