I. ˈkau̇ntē, -ti noun
( -es )
Etymology: Middle English counte, cunte, from Anglo-French counté, from Old French cunté, conté domain of a count, from Medieval Latin comitatus, from Late Latin, office of a count, from comit-, comes count + Latin -atus -ate — more at count
1. obsolete : county court
2. : the domain of a European count or earl
3. : one of the territorial divisions of Great Britain and Ireland constituting the chief units for administrative, judicial, and political purposes and comprising the districts that were formerly Anglo-Saxon shires and other areas which never were shires: as
a. or county corporate : one of certain districts consisting of cities and towns with neighboring territories separated out of the older shires and given the status of county — called also corporate county
b. : the largest administrative unit for local government in Great Britain and Northern Ireland — called also in England and Wales administrative county and in Scotland civil county
c. or county borough : a borough of at least 100,000 inhabitants that has been given the status of an administrative county
4.
a. : the people of a county
b. Britain : the gentry of an English county
never happier than when they were entertaining the county — W.S.Maugham
5.
a. : the largest division for local government within a state of the United States with administrative functions differing from state to state — compare municipal corporation , parish , quasi corporation , town , township
b. in Rhode Island : a judicial district
c. : the county government regarded as a source of poor relief or other services especially for the destitute
throwing his money away and if we don't get a guardian for him he'll be on the county — Willard Robertson
6. : the largest local administrative unit in various countries especially in the British Commonwealth
II. adjective
1. : of, for, or relating to a county
a county treasurer
: concerned in county affairs : administered by a county
2. chiefly Britain : of, belonging to, or appropriate to the county gentry
her mother's clothes being excessively county — Michael Arlen
a county family
III. noun
( -es )
Etymology: modification of Middle French conte count — more at count
obsolete : count III