COUNTIES
Noun
counties
plural of county
Anagrams
• consuite, counites
Source: Wiktionary
COUNTY
Coun"ty (koun"t), n.; pl. Counties (-t. Etym: [F. comt, fr. LL.
comitatus. See Count.]
1. An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [Obs.]
2. A circuit or particular portion of a state or kingdom, separated
from the rest of the territory, for certain purposes in the
administration of justice and public affairs; -- called also a shire.
See Shire.
Every county, every town, every family, was in agitation. Macaulay.
3. A count; an earl or lord. [Obs.] Shak. County commissioners. See
Commissioner.
– County corporate, a city or town having the privilege to be a
county by itself, and to be governed by its own sheriffs and other
magistrates, irrespective of the officers of the county in which it
is situated; as London, York, Bristol, etc. [Eng.] Mozley & W.
– County court, a court whose jurisdiction is limited to county.
– County palatine, a county distingushed by particular privileges;
– so called a palatio (from the palace), because the owner had
originally royal powers, or the same powers, in the administration of
justice, as the king had in his palace; but these powers are now
abridged. The counties palatine, in England, are Lancaster, Chester,
and Durham.
– County rates, rates levied upon the county, and collected by the
boards of guardians, for the purpose of defraying the expenses to
which counties are liable, such as repairing bridges, jails, etc.
[Eng.] -- County seat, a county town. [U.S.] -- County sessions, the
general quarter sessions of the peace for each county, held four
times a year. [Eng.] -- County town, the town of a county, where the
county business is transacted; a shire town.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition