county

¹coun·ty

noun \ˈkau̇n-tē\

plural counties

Definition of COUNTY

1

: the domain of a count

2

a : one of the territorial divisions of England and Wales and formerly also of Scotland and Northern Ireland constituting the chief units for administrative, judicial, and political purposes

b (1) : the people of a county (2) British : the gentry of a county

3

: the largest territorial division for local government within a state of the United States

4

: the largest local administrative unit in various countries

— county adjective

Origin of COUNTY

Middle English counte, from Anglo-French cunté, counté, from Medieval Latin comitatus, from Late Latin, office of a count, from comit-, comes count — more at count

First Known Use: 14th century

Rhymes with COUNTY

bounty, Mountie

²county

noun

plural counties

Definition of COUNTY

archaic

: ³count

Origin of COUNTY

modification of Middle French comte

First Known Use: 1550