Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A man or boy who is a member of the gentry in England ranking directly below a knight.
- noun Used as an honorific usually in its abbreviated form, especially after the name of an attorney or a consular officer.
- noun Chiefly British A barrister-at-law.
- noun In medieval times, a candidate for knighthood who served a knight as an attendant and a shield bearer.
- noun Archaic An English country gentleman; a squire.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To attend; wait on; escort, as a gentleman attending a lady in public. Todd. See
squire , verb - noun In heraldry, a bearing somewhat resembling the gyron, but extending across the field so that the point touches the opposite edge of the escutcheon.
- noun A shield-bearer or armor-bearer; an armiger; an attendant on a knight. See
squire , 1. - noun A title of dignity next in degree below that of knight.
- noun A gentleman who attends or escorts a lady in public.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun Originally, a shield-bearer or armor-bearer, an attendant on a knight; in modern times, a title of dignity next in degree below
knight and abovegentleman ; also, a title of office and courtesy; -- often shortened tosquire . - transitive verb colloq. To wait on as an esquire or attendant in public; to attend.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun heraldry A bearing somewhat resembling a
gyron , but extending across the field so that the point touches the opposite edge of theescutcheon . - noun archaic a
squire ; a youth who in the hopes of becoming a knight attended upon a knight - noun a
lawyer - noun obsolete a shield-bearer, but also applied to other attendants.
- noun a
male member of thegentry ranking below aknight - noun an
honorific sometimes placed after a man'sname - noun A gentleman who attends or escorts a lady in public.
- verb transitive, obsolete To
attend ,wait on ,escort .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a title of respect for a member of the English gentry ranking just below a knight; placed after the name
- noun (Middle Ages) an attendant and shield bearer to a knight; a candidate for knighthood
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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"No, I haven't even the title esquire, which, I understand, all American citizens possess."
One Day's Courtship Robert Barr 1881
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"Why," replied old Bartlemy, slowly, as his gaze wandered from face to face, "the esquire is the false priest from Oundle, and the young lady is his novice."
A Boy's Ride Gulielma Zollinger
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Stephen Romylowe is expressly called esquire of Edward prince of Wales (the Black Prince), and he held an annuity from that prince.
Chaucer's Official Life James Root Hulbert 1926
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Here an exclamation of "Mercy, mercy!" called the esquire's attention, and he beheld his amiable consort sinking aghast, with uplifted hands on
Eventide A Series of Tales and Poems Effie Afton 1858
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The Spanish kings, in conformity to the martial spirit of the times when cards were introduced, were all mounted on horseback, as befitted generals and commanders-in-chief; but their next in command (among the cards) was el caballo, the knight-errant on horseback -- for the old Spanish cards had no queens; and the third in order was the soto, or attendant, that is, the esquire, or armour-bearer of the knight -- all which was exactly conformable to those ideas of chivalry which ruled the age.
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+ 'The Hunt for Red October' [ 'Mace Neufeld'/'Neufeld, Mace'] [ 'Paramount Pictures'] + 'esquire':
united states of america constitutional signaturee gate admin 2009
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+ 'The Hunt for Red October' [ 'Mace Neufeld'/'Neufeld, Mace'] [ 'Paramount Pictures'] + 'esquire':
Archive 2009-12-01 admin 2009
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In the world of the Thirteenthers, though, it's all a conspiracy, and the leading suspects are those shady characters who put "esquire" after their names.
Iowa GOP Embraces Plan To Strip Obama's Citizenship For Accepting Nobel Prize [UPDATE] 2010
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In the world of the Thirteenthers, though, it's all a conspiracy, and the leading suspects are those shady characters who put "esquire" after their names.
Iowa GOP Embraces Plan To Strip Obama's Citizenship For Accepting Nobel Prize [UPDATE] 2010
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An appellate judge who has been in that position since working as a professor is as disconnected from the legal practice as anyone who cannot claim "esquire" as a title.
Real diversity on the Supreme Court. Ann Althouse 2009
she commented on the word esquire
"And how funny it'll seem, sending presents to one's own feet! And how odd the directions will look!
ALICE's RIGHT FOOT, ESQ.
HEARTH-RUG,
NEAR THE FENDER,
(WITH ALICE's LOVE).
"- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
July 18, 2008
oroboros commented on the word esquire
Sounds like the letters S K Y R.
October 31, 2009