noun
( plural knights of the shire )
Etymology: Middle English
1. : a knight selected by the freeholders to represent a shire in the House of Commons especially in medieval times
the knight of the shire was the connecting link between the baron and the shopkeeper — T.B.Macaulay
2. : a parliamentary representative from a shire or county as distinguished from a representative of a city or a borough
the number of knights of the shire was increased to 159 — T.E.May