viscount

vis·count

noun \ˈvī-ˌkau̇nt\

Definition of VISCOUNT

: a member of the peerage in Great Britain ranking below an earl and above a baron

— vis·count·cy \-ˌkau̇n(t)-sē\ noun

— vis·county \-ˌkau̇n-tē\ noun

Origin of VISCOUNT

Middle English viscounte sheriff, viscount, from Anglo-French visquens, visconte, from Medieval Latin vicecomit-, vicecomes, from Late Latin vice- vice- + comit-, comes count — more at count

First Known Use: 15th century

Rhymes with VISCOUNT

account, amount, blood count, demount, discount, dismount, high-count, point count, recount, remount, seamount, surmount

viscount

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

European title of nobility, ranking immediately below a count, or earl. The wife of a viscount is a viscountess. In the Carolingian period, the vicecomes were deputies or lieutenants of the counts (comes), whose official powers they exercised by delegation. In the 11th century most of Normandy was divided into vicomtés, but the viscountcy was not introduced into the English peerage until nearly 400 years after the Norman conquest.