Illustration of shire
- shire 2
shire
noun
ˈshī(-ə)r 
in place-name compounds ˌshir,
shər
1
: an administrative subdivision
especially : a county in England
2
: any of an old breed of large heavy draft horses of British origin having heavily feathered legs
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web To hear Cleveland’s brass, strings, and percussion was to be there on the battlefield with Aragorn, in the shire with Frodo, or in the molten depths beneath Saruman’s tower. 
Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 25 July 2022 The shire; the ring; the elves; the evil of Saruman and his minions: Over and over, Shore conjures these and other elements with musical wizardry equal to Gandalf himself. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 25 July 2022 The shire covers 68,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles). Rod Mcguirk, ajc, 21 Oct. 2021 Prince Charles came face to long face with Prince George on a day out in West Wales on Thursday — though this George wasn't the third in line to the throne, but instead a handsome shire horse who shares a name with Charles's 7-year-old grandson. Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2021 From your grandparents watching telly in the deepest corners of the shire, to an agenda-setting chef religiously tuning in from central London each week, who couldn’t help but adore Nigella? Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2021 Vengeful Christians took possession of Jewish property and lands, acquiring their wealth and driving them from hearth and shire. Talia Lavin, The New Republic, 29 Sep. 2020 Within that is a wide array of sounds, from the happiness of the shire to the second film’s stunning battle to the arrival of Gollum. Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2020 The party has deep roots in the shires and has traditionally supported country pursuits. The Economist, 27 Feb. 2020 See More
Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 25 July 2022 The shire; the ring; the elves; the evil of Saruman and his minions: Over and over, Shore conjures these and other elements with musical wizardry equal to Gandalf himself. Zachary Lewis, cleveland, 25 July 2022 The shire covers 68,000 square kilometers (26,000 square miles). Rod Mcguirk, ajc, 21 Oct. 2021 Prince Charles came face to long face with Prince George on a day out in West Wales on Thursday — though this George wasn't the third in line to the throne, but instead a handsome shire horse who shares a name with Charles's 7-year-old grandson. Simon Perry, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2021 From your grandparents watching telly in the deepest corners of the shire, to an agenda-setting chef religiously tuning in from central London each week, who couldn’t help but adore Nigella? Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 Apr. 2021 Vengeful Christians took possession of Jewish property and lands, acquiring their wealth and driving them from hearth and shire. Talia Lavin, The New Republic, 29 Sep. 2020 Within that is a wide array of sounds, from the happiness of the shire to the second film’s stunning battle to the arrival of Gollum. Troy L. Smith, cleveland, 6 Sep. 2020 The party has deep roots in the shires and has traditionally supported country pursuits. The Economist, 27 Feb. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English scīr office, shire; akin to Old High German scīra care
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing shire
Geographical Definition
Shire
geographical name
Shi·re ˈshē-(ˌ)rā
ˈshir-ē
river 250 miles (400 kilometers) long in southern Malawi and central Mozambique flowing from Lake Malawi south into the Zambezi River