shire town

noun

1
British : a town that is the seat of the government of a shire
2
New England : a town where a court of superior jurisdiction (such as a circuit court or a court with a jury) sits

Examples of shire town in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Here in Woodstock, a small shire town of about 3,000 people, the Yankee Bookshop credits local support with the store’s survival. Gareth Henderson, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Dec. 2021 Now The Shires of Vermont Byway The Shires of Vermont is the name of the southwest corner of Vermont, which includes the historic shire towns of Bennington and Manchester. Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, 23 July 2018

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shire town was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near shire town

Cite this Entry

“Shire town.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shire%20town. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

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