\Shire\, n. [AS. sc[=i]re, sc[=i]r, a division, province,
county. Cf. {Sheriff}.]
1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the
   supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually
   identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a
   smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire,
   Hallamshire.
         An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a
         county or shire.                      --Blackstone.
2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous
   townships; a county. [U. S.]
Note: Shire is commonly added to the specific designation of
      a county as a part of its name; as, Yorkshire instead
      of York shire, or the shire of York; Berkshire instead
      of Berks shire. Such expressions as the county of
      Yorkshire, which in a strict sense are tautological,
      are used in England. In the United States the composite
      word is sometimes the only name of a county; as,
      Berkshire county, as it is called in Massachusetts,
      instead of Berks county, as in Pensylvania.
            The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and
            Thames separate the counties of Northumberland,
            Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc. --Encyc.
                                               Brit.
{Knight of the shire}. See under {Knight}.
{Shire clerk}, an officer of a county court; also, an under
   sheriff. [Eng.]
{Shire mote} (Old. Eng. Law), the county court; sheriff's
   turn, or court. [Obs.] --Cowell. --Blackstone.
{Shire reeve} (Old Eng. Law), the reeve, or bailiff, of a
   shire; a sheriff. --Burrill.
{Shire town}, the capital town of a county; a county town.
{Shire wick}, a county; a shire. [Obs.] --Holland.