n. & adj.
n. (pl. -ies) 1 a any of the territorial divisions of some countries, forming the chief unit of local administration. b US a political and administrative division of a State. 2 the people of a county, esp. the leading families.
adj. having the social status or characteristics of county families. county borough hist. a large borough ranking as a county for administrative purposes. county corporate hist. a city or town ranking as an administrative county. county council the elected governing body of an administrative county. county court a judicial court for civil cases (in the US for civil and criminal cases). county cricket cricket matches between teams representing counties. county family an aristocratic family with an ancestral seat in a county. County Palatine the territory of a Count or Earl Palatine. county town (US seat) the administrative capital of a county.
[ ME f. AF counté, OF conté, cunté, f. L comitatus (as COUNT(2)) ]