squire

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈskwaɪə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈskwaɪɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ)

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

squire (plural squires)

1. A shield-bearer or armor-bearer who attended a knight.
2. A title of dignity next in degree below knight, and above gentleman. See esquire.
3. A male attendant on a great personage.
4. (historical) A landowner from the English gentry during the early modern period.
5. A devoted attendant or follower of a lady; a beau.
6. A title of office and courtesy. See under esquire.
7. (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.

squire (third-person singular simple present squires, present participle squiring, simple past and past participle squired)

1. (transitive) To attend as a squire.
2. (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. […], volumes (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.

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.

squire (plural squires)

1. (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: Printed by 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.

• Squier, quires, risque, risqué, squier

squire m (plural squires)

1. squire (title)