squire

/ˈskwaɪər/

/skwaɪə/

Other forms: squires; squired; squiring

Squire is a British term for a country landowner or gentleman. You can use squire to describe a refined and powerful man, or as a verb meaning to escort: when the queen visited, the police chief squired her around town.

You'll encounter squires in 19th-century English novels, and you'll need to understand who they are if you're going to get the subtle class distinctions that often drive the plots of these novels. During feudal times squires were young men who assisted knights. For their loyalty, they were given land, making them and their descendants rich and powerful. If you had land, you could live off the rent your tenant farmers paid, and you’d be free to be a gentleman.

Definitions of squire

1. noun

   a man who attends or escorts a woman
   synonyms: gallant

   type of:

   attendant, attender, tender

   someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
2. noun

   an English country landowner
   type of:

   landholder, landowner, property owner, proprietor

   a holder or proprietor of land
3. noun

   a young nobleman attendant on a knight
   types:

   armiger, armor-bearer

   a squire carrying the armor of a knight

   type of:

   attendant, attender, tender

   someone who waits on or tends to or attends to the needs of another
4. verb

   attend upon as a squire; serve as a squire
   type of:

   escort

   accompany as an escort