# squire
## English
### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) IPA: /ˈskwaɪə/
* (General American) IPA: /ˈskwaɪɚ/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

### Etymology 1

From Middle English esquire, from Old French escuier, from Latin scūtārius (“shield-bearer”), from scūtum (“shield”).

#### Noun

squire (plural squires)
* A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
* A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See esquire.
* A male attendant on a great personage.
* (historical) A landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period.
* A devoted attendant or follower of a lady; a beau.
* A title of office and courtesy. See under esquire.
* (UK, colloquial) Term of address to a male equal.
** 1969, Dead Parrot sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus:Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh, we're right out of parrots.

##### Derived terms

* apple-squire
* squarson
* squirearchy
* squire of dames
* squiress

##### Translations
#### Verb

squire (third-person singular simple present squires, present participle squiring, simple past and past participle squired)
* (transitive) To attend as a squire.
* (transitive) To attend as a beau, or gallant, for aid and protection.
    Synonym: escort
** 1753, [Tobias Smollett], “Count Fathom Unmasks His Battery; is Repulsed; and Varies His Operations without Effect”, in The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom. […], volume II, London: […] W. Johnston, […], →OCLC, pages 107–108:[O]n ſome occaſions, he diſplayed all his fund of good humour, vvith a vievv to beguile her ſorrovv; he importuned her to give him the pleasure of ’ſquiring her to ſome place of innocent entertainment; and, finally, inſiſted upon her accepting a pecuniary reinforcement to her finances, vvhich he knevv to be in a moſt conſumptive condition.
** 1759 October 24 (Gregorian calendar), [Oliver] Goldsmith, “On Dress”, in The Bee, a Select Collection of Essays, on the Most Interesting and Entertaining Subjects, […], new edition, London: […] W[illiam] Lane, […], published c. 1790, →OCLC:Perceiving, however, that I had on my best wig, she offered, if I would ’squire her there, to send home the footman.
** 1812, Henry [William] Weber, “The Spanish Curate”, in [John Fletcher, Philip Massinger], edited by Henry Weber, The Works of Beaumont and Fletcher, […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Company, for F. C. and J. Rivington; [et al.], Act IV, scene vii, footnote 3, page 326:To man a lady was, in former times, a phrase similar to the vulgar one at present in use, to squire.
** 1821 January 8, [Walter Scott], chapter IV, in Kenilworth; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; and John Ballantyne, […]; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., →OCLC:Yes, such a thing as thou wouldst make of me should wear a book at his girdle instead of a poniard, and might just be suspected of manhood enough to squire a proud dame-citizen to the lecture at Saint Antonlin’s, and quarrel in her cause with any flat-capped threadmaker that would take the wall of her.
** 1936 June 30, Margaret Mitchell, chapter 1, in Gone with the Wind, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC; republished New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, 1944, →OCLC:And raising good cotton, riding well, shooting straight, dancing lightly, squiring the ladies with elegance and carrying one’s liquor like a gentleman were the things that mattered.
** 1988, Edmund White, chapter 6, in The Beautiful Room is Empty, New York: Vintage International, published 1994:A butch entered squiring a blonde whore tottering along on spike heels under dairy whip hair, her chubby hand rising again and again to tuck a stray wisp back into the creamy dome.

### Etymology 2

From Middle English squire, borrowed from Middle French esquierre (“rule, carpenter's square”), or from Old French esquire, another form of esquarre (“square”). Cognate with French équerre. Doublet of square.

#### Noun

squire (plural squires)
* (obsolete) A ruler; a carpenter's square; a measure.
** 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:But temperaunce, said he, with golden squire, / Betwixt them both can measure out a meane.
** c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii], line 474:do not you know my lady's foot by the squire.
** 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:as for a workman not to know his axe, saw, squire, or any other toole, […].
** c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 348:twelve foot and a half by the squire.

### Anagrams

* Squier, quires, risque, risqué, squier

## French
### Noun

squire m (plural squires)
* squire (title)