squire

1 of 2

noun

1
: a shield bearer or armor bearer of a knight
2
a
: a male attendant especially on a great personage
b
: a man who devotedly attends a lady : gallant
3
a
: a member of the British gentry ranking below a knight and above a gentleman
b
: an owner of a country estate
especially : the principal landowner in a village or district
(2)
: lawyer
(3)
: judge
squirish adjective

squire

2 of 2

verb

squired; squiring

transitive verb

: to attend as a squire : escort

Examples of squire in a Sentence

Verb her father squired her to the dance to make sure she got there all right
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Here’s the blurb: A century before the events of Game of Thrones, two unlikely heroes wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg. Erik Kain, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 The show is set a century before the events of Game of Thrones and follows the young, naive, but courageous knight Ser Duncan the Tall and his diminutive squire, Egg. Nick Romano, EW.com, 8 May 2023 A little more than a year ago, Johnnie Ross IV began as a squire after working as a dishwasher in a Korean restaurant. Los Angeles Times, 15 Feb. 2023 The sight gag recalls a famous recurring joke in Monty Python and the Holy Grail in which the knights ride fake horses while their squires hit coconuts together behind them to imitate horses’ feet. Time, 21 July 2023 The good squire raises Tom alongside his nephew, William Blifil (James Wilbraham), who hates Tom, mostly because his de facto brother possesses all the charm that Blifil lacks. John Anderson, wsj.com, 27 Apr. 2023 This new series, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, will be set a century before the events of Game of Thrones and center around Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire Egg. Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2023 Hitchcock's last British film before his Hollywood migration concerns a young woman (Maureen O'Hara) who investigates a series of shipwrecks overseen by a local squire (Charles Laughton), who employs a gang to loot the wrecked ships. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 24 Jan. 2023 Above: Miss Havisham (Olivia Colman) with her young squire, Pip (Fionn Whitehead). Anna Fixsen, ELLE Decor, 18 Apr. 2023
Verb
The teen idols squired Evert and Navratilova to a drive-in movie. Sally Jenkins, Anchorage Daily News, 3 July 2023 Of course, Raquel has been squired away in some sort of mental health facility since mid-April. Vulture, 6 June 2023 There was a date in the Italian city of Verona with a charming classical musician who squired her around on a scooter and gave her a nighttime tour of the city’s many historic spots. Faith Karimi, CNN, 2 Apr. 2023 The buzzy little bulldogs have been targeted in thefts, including last month’s fatal shooting of a 76-year-old South Carolina breeder and the 2021 shooting of a California dog walker who was squiring singer Lady Gaga’s pets. Staff and Wire Reports, oregonlive, 18 Mar. 2023 Movie stars James Garner and Steve McQueen also squired her, according to Taylor. Adam Bernstein, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2023 Systems of iron rungs for grip, and cables to clip in, squire visitors along vertical rock, up and down ladders, and across harrowing suspension bridges that offer no shortage of awe-inspiring views. J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 15 June 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'squire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English squier, from Anglo-French esquier — more at esquire

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of squire was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near squire

Cite this Entry

“Squire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/squire. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

squire

1 of 2 noun
1
: one who carries the shield or armor of a knight
2
a
: a male servant
b
: a lady's escort
3
a
: an owner of a country estate

squire

2 of 2 verb
squired; squiring
: to attend as a squire or escort

More from Merriam-Webster on squire

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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