\Town\, n. [OE. toun, tun, AS. tun inclosure, fence,
village, town; akin to D. tuin a garden, G. zaun a hadge,
fence, OHG. zun, Icel. tun an inclosure, homestead, house,
Ir. & Gael. dun a fortress, W. din. Cf. {Down}, adv. & prep.,
{Dune}, {tine} to inclose.]
1. Formerly:
   (a) An inclosure which surrounded the mere homestead or
       dwelling of the lord of the manor. [Obs.]
   (b) The whole of the land which constituted the domain.
       [Obs.]
   (c) A collection of houses inclosed by fences or walls.
       [Obs.] --Palsgrave.
2. Any number or collection of houses to which belongs a
   regular market, and which is not a city or the see of a
   bishop. [Eng.] --Johnson.
3. Any collection of houses larger than a village, and not
   incorporated as a city; also, loosely, any large, closely
   populated place, whether incorporated or not, in
   distinction from the country, or from rural communities.
         God made the country, and man made the town.
                                               --Cowper.
4. The body of inhabitants resident in a town; as, the town
   voted to send two representatives to the legislature; the
   town voted to lay a tax for repairing the highways.
5. A township; the whole territory within certain limits,
   less than those of a country. [U. S.]
6. The court end of London;-- commonly with the.
7. The metropolis or its inhabitants; as, in winter the
   gentleman lives in town; in summer, in the country.
         Always hankering after the diversions of the town.
                                               --Addison.
         Stunned with his giddy larum half the town. --Pope.
Note: The same form of expressions is used in regard to other
      populous towns.
8. A farm or farmstead; also, a court or farmyard. [Prov.
   Eng. & Scot.]
Note: Town is often used adjectively or in combination with
      other words; as, town clerk, or town-clerk; town-crier,
      or town crier; townhall, town-hall, or town hall;
      townhouse, town house, or town-house.
Syn: Village; hamlet. See {Village}.
{Town clerk}, an office who keeps the records of a town, and
   enters its official proceedings. See {Clerk}.
{Town cress} (Bot.), the garden cress, or peppergrass. --Dr.
   Prior.
{Town house}.
   (a) A house in town, in distinction from a house in the
       country.
   (b) See {Townhouse}.
{Town meeting}, a legal meeting of the inhabitants of a town
   entitled to vote, for the transaction of public bisiness.
   [U. S.]
{Town talk}, the common talk of a place; the subject or topic
   of common conversation.