1. ( abbr Lancs ) a county in north-west England. It was one of the centres of the Industrial Revolution , and was famous especially for its cotton mills and coal mines. In 1974 the county was reduced in size and it no longer includes the cities of Liverpool and Manchester . Its administrative centre is Preston. Compare Merseyside .
2. ( also Lancashire cheese ) n [ U ] a type of mild white cheese that breaks easily into small pieces. It is traditionally made in Lancashire.