The AI-powered English dictionary
countable and uncountable, plural counties
An administrative or geographical region of various countries, including Bhutan, Canada, China, Croatia, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and 48 of the 50 United States (excluding Alaska and Louisiana). examples
A definitive geographic region, without direct administrative functions. examples
(US, slang, uncountable) A jail operated by a county government.
(historical) The land ruled by a count or a countess.
comparative more county, superlative most county
Characteristic of a ‘county family’; representative of the gentry or aristocracy of a county. quotations examples
Now, in the district around Chipping Carby, the County Families are very County indeed, few more so.
1886, Andrew Lang, The Mark of Cain
She was a tall girl and county, with Hilary's walk: she seemed to topple even when she sat.
1979, John Le Carré, Smiley's People, Folio Society, published 2010, page 274
The other two, like many of her characters, have fallen on harder times: Joan's family has recently lost her father, a small flour-mill owner -- described by a supporter as more "county" than the upstart newcomers who covet their property ...
2007, Heather Julien, Gender and Literacy in Britain, 1847--1987
Susan Dean realises that her secretary, Eleanor Grantly, is much more county than she ever will be, because Eleanor knows all the Barsetshire family connections and is connected herself.
2015, Kate Macdonald, Novelists Against Social Change: Conservative Popular Fiction, 1920-1960