▪ I. squire, n.
(skwaɪə(r))
Forms: α. 3–7 squier (4 -are, 5 -ere), 3–6 squyer (4 sqyer, squyȝer, 5 sqvyȝer), 4–5 squyere (4 -eer), squyar; 4–5 sqwyer (5 sqwier), sqwyar, (5 Sc. sqwhyare), 5–6 sqwyere; 4 scwyer, scwier, scoyer, skwier, skuyer (4–5 -ere), 5 skyer; 4 suier, 4–6 swyer, 5 swier(e, -ar. β. 4 squeyer, 4–5 squeer; Sc. 5 squear, sqwear, squere, 6 sqwere. γ. 5 swyr, 6 swyre; 5 squir, 5–6 squyre, 6– squire. δ. 7– 'squire.
[ad. OF. esquier, escuier, etc., whence also the later form esquire n.1]
1. a. In the military organization of the later middle ages, a young man of good birth attendant upon a knight (= esquire 1 a); one ranking next to a knight under the feudal system of military service and tenure.
| α c 1290 Beket 2427 in S. Eng. Leg. 176 For-to honouri þis holi man þer cam folk i-novȝ;..Of Eorles and of barones and manie kniȝtes heom to; Of seriaunz and of squiers. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 7801 He let gadery is kniȝtes & is squiers al so. 13.. K. Alis. 6022 Theo kyngis ost..amounted fyve hundrod thousand Knyghtis.., withowte pages and skuyeris. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 824 Knyȝtez & swyerez comen doun þenne. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 362 Fro þe hiȝest knyȝte..to þe lowest sqwyer þat by wai of office of his state beriþ þe swerde. 1414 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 58/2 The freest Knight or Squyer of the Rewme..may be put in prison. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Irel. (1896) 8 He hade purueied hym of xxxti knyghtes and lx skyers. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arthur Lyt. Bryt. 134 He was served rychely with many goodly squyers, who dyd nothing elles but..served hym alwayes. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 296 The Lord James Audeley with the ayde of his foure squiers, fought alwayes in the chiefe of the battayle. |
| β a 1400 R. Gloucester's Chron. 3878 (Harl. MS. 201), Boþe kynges and dukes, and erles echon, Barons and knyȝtes, squeers monyon. c 1440 Ipomydon 320 And euery man sayd to other there, ‘Will ye se þe proude squeer, Shall serue my lady of þe wyne?’ 1474 Acc. Ld. H. Treas. Scotl. I. 69 For certane expensis maid..vpon the squere, the were man of the King of Denmarkis. 1490 Exch. Rolls Scotl. X. 663 Our traist and velebelovit cosingis and counsailouris, clerkis, and squearis. |
| γ 1449 Paston Lett. I. 87 He harde sey of j. swyr of ij. c. marc be ȝere that [etc.]. c 1450 Merlin xiii. 191 Thei were wele armed, and hadde on hattes of stile as squyres vsed in tho dayes. 1515 Scottish Field (Chetham) 484 Many swyres full swiftelie were swapped to the deathe. a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. IV, 16 b, Owen Glendor a squire of Wales, perceiuyng the realme to be vnquieted,..entised and allured the wilde and vndiscrite Welshmen. 1595 Shakes. John i. i. 177 Goe, Faulconbridge.., A landlesse Knight makes thee a landed Squire. 1611 ― Cymb. ii. iii. 128 A Hilding for a Liuorie, a Squires Cloth, A Pantler. 1682 Burnet Rights Princes v. 147 Those of the better sort in the provinces, that were bound to come and serve as Auxiliary Troops, which was the Original of the Titles of Squires and Gentlemen. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. lviii. VI. 65 Each knight was attended to the field by four squires or archers on horseback. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles i. xxix, Where squire and yeoman, page and groom, Plied their loud revelry. 1859 Tennyson Merlin & V. 322, I once was looking for a magic weed, And found a fair young squire. |
† b. Placed after the surname as a designation of rank. Obs.
Chiefly in formal documents.
| 1382 in Riley Mem. Lond. (1868) 456 [The said William Soys was attached to make answer to] Walter Begood, Squyer. c 1440 Brut ii. 370 To hym come Iohn Standisch, Squyer. c 1460 Eng. Reg. Oseney (1913) 138 Come John Wilcotys, squier, and all his tenauntes of þe Moore Barton. 1541 Knaresborough Wills (Surtees) I. 81 note, Thomas Middleton, squier, and John Pullayne, gentleman, super⁓visors. 1586 Brasenose College Muniments 22. 7 Richard Pultenham Squier, prisoner in the King his Bench. |
c. A personal attendant or servant; a follower. Also transf.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 148 Þei passen grete men in here gaye pellure..& tatrid squeyeres & oþere meyne. c 1386 Chaucer Sompn. T. 535 Now stood the lordes squier at the bord, That carf his mete. c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) ii, Somtyme a gret hert hath an other felawe, þat is called his squyer. 1531 Dial. on Laws Eng. O iiij, The same is to be holden of a Captayne, that he shall be bounde for the offence of hys squyers. 1640 tr. Verdere's Rom. of Rom. i. 104 They boorded the Pagans ship all three together, leaving their Squires in guard of their bark. 1831 Macaulay Biog., Johnson (1860) 122 Boswell importuned him to attempt the adventure and offered to be his squire. 1835 W. Irving Tour Prairies 35 He must have the young Osage as a companion and squire in his expedition into the wilderness. 1887 Ruskin Præterita II. 192 At Oxford, when it was thought becoming in a gentleman-commoner to have a squire to manage his scout. |
† d. In contemptuous use. Obs.
Cf. trencher-squire s.v. trencher1 7.
| 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 62 Get trustie to tend them, not lubberlie squire, that all the day long hath his nose at the fire. 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden Wks. (Grosart) III. 71 O scabbed scald squire (Scythian Gabriell) as thou art. a 1618 Sylvester Tobacco battered 20 Wks. (Grosart) II. 267 Indian Tobacco, when due cause requires; Not the dry Dropsie, of Phantastick Squires. |
† e. = apple-squire. Obs.
| 1610 B. Jonson Alch. Prol., No clime breeds better matter, for your whore, Bawd, squire, impostor,..Whose manners..feed the stage. 1617 Middleton & Rowley Fair Quarrel. iv. iv, When thou art dead, may twenty whores follow thee, that thou mayst go a squire to thy grave! 1622 Breton Strange Newes Wks. (Grosart) II. 6/2 Other kinde of close mates there are,..and they are called Squiers, but they are onely of the order of the Apple. |
2. Applied to personages of ancient history or mythology regarded as holding a position or rank similar to that of the mediæval squire.
Freq., esp. in or after Biblical use, with the literal sense ‘shield-bearer’ or ‘armour-bearer’.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 6279 King ne knight, suier ne suain, O þam come neuer a fote again. Ibid. 7717 Þe squier hight abysai, þat to þe tent com wit daui. 1382 Wyclif 1 Chron. x. 4 And Saul seyde to his squyer, Drawȝe out thi swerd. c 1400 Destr. Troy 6221 [They] were gouernet by a gome,..A fyne squier & a fuerse,—Eufemius he hight. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.) 132 Abymalech..saide thus til his sqwyere..out with thi swerde quod he and slee me hastily. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 65 b/2 And his squyer wente to for hym & cryde ayenst them of Israhel. 1509 Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. Wks. (1876) 281 A squyer also of kynge Saul whan he sawe his lorde & mayster deed..slewe hymselfe. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 46 Then the squire emboldned dreadles thus coyned an aunswer. 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xx. lxxxi, Bacchus's wrangling Squires, whose strange Contest Was, who should prove the best at being Beast. 1692 Dryden St. Euremont's Ess. 358 Except Ajax,..there was no considerable Warriour, that had not his God upon his Chariot, as well as his Squire: the God to conduct his Spear, the Squire for the management of his Horses. 1720 Pope Iliad xx. 565 The squire, who saw expiring on the ground His prostrate master. |
3. † a. squire of (or for) the body (or household), an officer charged with personal attendance upon a sovereign, nobleman, or other high dignitary. Obs. Cf. esquire n.1 1 c.
Used jestingly by Shakes. 1 Hen. IV. i. ii. 27.
| 1450 Rolls of Parlt. V. 190/1 John Hampton Squier for oure body. 1477 Exch. Rolls Scotl. IX. 101 note, Our lovit familiare squear of houshald Johne of Ballone. 1536 MS. Rawl. D. 780 fol. 58 b, A new kay for the squyers of the bodys chambre. 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. Wks. 1851 III. 286 Some Squire of the body to his Prelat, one that serves not at the Altar only, but at the Court cupboard. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Armiger,..a Title of Dignity, properly an Armour-bearer to a Knight, an Esquire, a Squire of the Body. 1825 Scott Betrothed ii, Two squires of his body, who dedicated their whole attention to his service, stood at the Prince's back. |
| fig. and transf. 1649 Fuller Just Man's Funeral 17 A guiltie conscience, that Squire of the bodie, alwayes officious to attend a malefactour. 1665 R. Head Eng. Rogue (1874) I. ix. 71 From what Dunghil didst thou pick up this Shake⁓rag, this Squire of the body? |
b. transf. In various humorous or jocular phrases.
† squire of the gimlet, a tapster. † squire of the pad: see pad n.2 2. † squire of the placket, a pimp. Obs.
| 1611 Cotgr., Escuyer trenchant, a caruer, or squire of the mouth. 1636 Davenant Wits ii, Squires of the placket, wee know you thinke us. 1679 T. Jordan Lond. in Luster 20 And a Drawer that Hath a good Pallat Shall be made Squire of the Gimlet. a 1721 M. Prior Thief & Cordelier ii, There the 'Squire of the Pad, and the Knight of the Post, Find their Pains no more balk'd, and their Hopes no more crost. |
4. a. A man, esp. a young man, who attends upon, accompanies, or escorts a lady; a gallant or lover.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. i. 21 Archimago..eke himselfe had craftly deuisd To be her Squire, and do her seruice well aguisd. a 1625 Beaum. & Fl. Wife for a Month i. i, Has your young sanctity done railing, Madam, Against your innocent 'Squire? 1648 J. Beaumont Psyche xxii. xlvi, Is not brave Phylax forc'd to be her Squire, And dance attendance on that Brat's desire? 1664 Cotton Scarron. iv. (1715) 77 Turning strait his Eyes to Tyre, To look for Dido, and her Squire. 1676 Wycherley Pl. Dealer ii. E iv b, You are to pretend only to be her Squire, to arm her to her Lawyers Chambers. |
b. squire of dames or ladies, one who devotes himself to the service of ladies or pays marked attentions to them. † Also allusively, a pimp or pander.
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. vii. 51 As for my name, it mistreth not to tell; Call me the Squyre of Dames, that me beseemeth well. 1619 Fletcher Mons. Thomas i. i, Val. What, the old 'squire of Dames still! Hyl. Still the admirer of their goodness. 1624 Massinger Parl. Love iv. iii, And how, my honest squire o' dames? 1631 ― Emp. East i. ii, You are The squire of dames, devoted to the service Of gamesome ladies,..their close bawd. 1886 Illustr. Lond. News 9 Jan. 31/2 Such attentions as would have been considered marked even in a ‘Squire of ladies’. 1900 R. H. Savage Brought to Bay vi. 105 It was no light-minded squire of dames who sat alone in the smoking-room. |
5. a. Employed as a title and prefixed to the surname of a country gentleman, freq. forming part of his customary appellation. Now chiefly colloq.
Orig. applied to those having the rank of a squire in sense 1: (cf. 1 b).
| 1645 Symonds Diary (Camden) 169 The King lay at Bisbury,..where Squire Gravenor (as they call him) lives. 1669 W. Simpson Hydrol. Chym. 363 That great naturalist, Squire Boyl. 1712 E. Cooke Voy. S. Sea 456 The principal Officers of the three Ships went ashore with 'Squire Hollidge. 1765 Foote Commissary i. Wks. 1799 II. 14 Our 'Squire Wou'd-be is violently bent upon matrimony. c 1795 ? Burns Poem on Pastoral Poetry iv, Squire Pope but busks his skinklin patches O' heathen tatters! 1812 Crabbe Tales xii. 1 'Squire Thomas flatter'd long a wealthy aunt. 1857 Hughes Tom Brown i, Here..lived and stopped at home, Squire Brown, J.P. for the county of Berks. 1882 [see squireship 2]. |
b. A country gentleman or landed proprietor, esp. one who is the principal landowner in a village or district.
broom-squire: see broom n. 6.
| γ 1676 Wycherley Plain Dealer Dramatis Pers., Jerry-Blackacre, a true raw Squire under Age,..bred to the Law. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Lett. 31 Oct. (1763) III. 129, I think the honest English squire more happy, who verily believes the Greek wines less delicious than March beer. 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. I. 17 And in the mean time I hobbled after the squire. 1818 Scott Rob Roy xiv, A bet or two..placed me on an easy and familiar footing with all the young squires, except Thorncliff. 1855 Poultry Chron. II. 281/2 It was unanimously decided that ‘the squire’, who also was member for the borough, should be asked to act as patron. 1875 Hayward Love agst. World 2 The old squire held his head high among the aristocracy of the county. |
| δ 1711 Addison Spect. No. 112 ¶7 The Parson is always preaching at the 'Squire, and the 'Squire..never comes to Church. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 30 ¶6, I was looked upon in every country parish as a kind of social bond between the 'squire, the parson, and the tenants. 1783 Crabbe Village ii. 55 Here too the 'squire, or 'squire-like farmer, talk. 1826 in Sheridaniana 331 Sheridan was once on a visit to a great Norfolk 'Squire. 1841 E. Miall Nonconf. I. 242 Little ignorant puffy 'squires propose to blow themselves out to these dimensions. |
c. In various slang uses (see quots.).
| [1688 Shadwell (title), The Squire of Alsatia.] a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Squire of Alsatia, a Man of Fortune, drawn in..and ruin'd by a pack of poor,..spunging, bold Fellows that liv'd..in White-Fryers. Ibid., The Squire, a Sir Timothy Treat-all; also, a Sap-pate... A fat Squire, a rich Fool. 1785 Grose Dict. Vulgar T., Squire of Alsatia, a weak profligate spendthrift; squire of the company, one who pays the whole reckoning, or treats the company, called standing squire. 1834 H. Ainsworth Rookwood iv. ii, I must insist upon standing Squire [later edd. Sam] upon the present occasion. |
d. As a term of polite address to a gentleman not formally a squire. More recently, a jocular or familiar address to another man, not necessarily of different status.
| 1828 J. F. Cooper Notions I. 102 His usual address is ‘friend’, or sometimes he contemplates a stranger of a gentlemanly appearance, with the title of ‘squire’. 1864 Trollope Can you forgive Her? (1865) II. i. 6 ‘Well, Squire,’ said Scruby, ‘how is it to be?’ 1959 [see long a.1 7 c]. 1962 C. Watson Hopjoy was Here x. 111 You see, squire, it's reasonable. 1968 Listener 22 Feb. 255/3 At a garage in Paddington I overheard a very sleek young man..ask the attendant to ‘fill both tanks up’. ‘Blimey, squire,’ was the reply, ‘you going all the way to Marble Arch?’ 1977 N. J. Crisp Odd Job Man i. 6 ‘Good-night then, squire,’ he said, to the barman. 1982 Times 15 May 14/6 (caption) Tell you what, squire—keep the pension and I'll take the cash! |
6. U.S. A Justice of the Peace; also, a lawyer or judge. Also, applied more widely to any local dignitary.
| 1817 J. Bradbury Trav. Amer. 320 He is not in the least danger of receiving a rude or uncivil answer, even if he should address himself to a squire (so justices are called). 1822 J. Flint Lett. fr. Amer. 143 Squire, the appellation designating a Justice of the Peace, or Magistrate, is commonly retained for life, although out of office. 1848 Knickerbocker XVIII. 379 Every body is a squire in these days. 1859 Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 2) 442 Squire, the title of magistrates and lawyers. In New England it is given particularly to justices of the peace and judges. In Pennsylvania, to justices of the peace only. 1873 ‘Mark Twain’ & Warner Gilded Age 17 ‘Squire’ Hawkins got his title from being post⁓master of Obedstown. 1935 H. W. Horwill Dict. Mod. Amer. Usage 301/1 In Am. the squire is primarily a justice of the peace, but the name is loosely given, most commonly as a title, to any prominent resident in a village. 1948 W. Faulkner Intruder in Dust ii. 34 He had already telephoned Squire Fraser. |
7. Austr. (See quot.)
| 1874 [see count-fish s.v. count n.1 9]. 1883 E. P. Ramsay Food Fishes N.S. Wales 10 The carnivorous Sparidæ include the Schnapper, Pagrus unicolor, the immature young of which are known respectively as the ‘squire’ and red bream. |
8. attrib. and Comb. a. Appositive, in early use chiefly in senses related to 3 a, as squire beadle (see beadle 3), squire carver, squire fruiterer, squire priest, squire saddler; in recent use in sense 5 b, as squire-farmer, squire-parson, squire-priest.
| (a) 1601 F. Tate Househ. Ordin. Edw. II (1876) 13 The squire fruiterer shal receve electuaries, confections, and other spiceries. 1615 Caution-Book of Balliol Coll. (MS.) fol. 11, I John Bell in the University of Oxon Squirebedle. 1618 Stow's Surv. 184 M. Thomas Cure, Sadler, and Squire Sadler to Queen Elizabeth. 1643 Plain English 14 They..have..made good Squire Priests prophesie. 1686 tr. Chardin's Trav. 227 From whence other Officers carry'd em [sc. dishes] before the Squire-carvers. |
| (b) 1850 Thackeray Pendennis xxvi, The wine-merchants',..solicitors', squire-farmers' daughters. 1863 A. Blomfield Mem. Bp. Blomfield I. iv. 104 The treatment of the mere curate,..and of the independent squire-parson of good family. 1888 Dowden Transcripts 189 The Chartist-peer, the lord-loving democrat, the squire-priest. |
b. Misc., as † squire-hart (see quot. and sense 1 c, quot. c 1410); squire-errant, a squire who acts like a knight-errant; hence squire-errant vb., squire-errantry; squire-trap, a soft spot or piece of ground into which one may sink while riding after hounds.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 135 Vntill he see..the great Hart hauing..his little squier-hart to attend him. 1733 Fielding Don Quix. in Eng. ii. i, The extreme difficulties..of knight-errantry..and of 'squire-errantry. Ibid. ii. vi, I hate your squire-errants that carry arms about them. Ibid. iii. ix, Ah, sir, I have been a squire-erranting to some purpose. 1859 G. A. Lawrence Sword & Gown ii. 14 Old Heathfield, who, when he is up to his girths in a squire-trap, never halloas ‘ware bog’, till five or six more are in it. 1861 G. J. Whyte-Melville Market Harb. 88 Miss Dove was fast luring him into a country which..was very cramped and blind, full of ‘doubles’, ‘squire-traps’, and other pit-falls for the unwary. |
▪ II. squire
obs. f. square n.; var. swire Obs.
▪ III. squire, v.
(skwaɪə(r))
Forms: 4, 6 squier, 5 squyer (swyer), sqwier, 6 squyre, 6– squire, 8 'squire.
[f. squire n.]
1. trans. Of a man: To attend (a lady) as, or after the manner of, a squire; to accompany, conduct, or serve as escort to; to escort. (Freq. in the 17th and 18th c. Now more freq. in U.S. use.) a. With adverbs and preps.
| c 1386 Chaucer Wife's Prol. 305 And for he squiereth me bothe vp and doun, Yet hastow caught a fals suspecioun. 1588 E. D. Xlth Idyl Theocritus A 4, When I as Vsher, squirde you [i.e. Galatea] all the waie. 1606 Dekker Seven Deadly Sins Wks. (Grosart) II. 45 Hee walkes vp and downe the streetes squiring old Midwiues to anie house. 1668 Shadwell Sullen Lovers v, Will you please to squire me along? 1711 Swift Jrnl. to Stella 1 Oct., I squired his lady out of her chaise to-day, and must visit her in a day or two. 1751 Eliza Heywood Betsy Thoughtless I. 56 [She] suffered herself to be..squir'd about to all public places, either by the rake, the man of honour, the wit, or the fool. 1821 Scott Kenilw. iv, Manhood enough to squire a proud dame-citizen to the lecture at Saint Antonlin's. 1857 Dickens Dorrit ii. vi. 373 Mr. Sparkler humbly offered his arm. Miss Fanny accepting it, was squired up the great staircase. 1866 R. Chambers Ess. Ser. ii. 93 He was..fond of..visits from ladies, whom..he would squire about his garden. 1901 G. B. Shaw Cæsar & Cleopatra iii, in Three Plays for Puritans 148 Ftatateeta comes to her. Apollonius offers to squire them into the palace. 1949 N. Mitford Love in Cold Climate i. ix. 97 Squiring royal old ladies to the supper-room. 1967 Boston Herald 1 Apr. 20/5 You will squire Machree wherever she wants to go. 1977 I. Shaw Beggarman, Thief iii. x. 334 The sight of his mother..being squired..off the plane by a man who seemed not much older than himself had disturbed him. |
| transf. 1686 Goad Celest. Bodies iii. iii. 456 That [star] of 1365..was squired in by a Comet. |
b. Without const.
| 1530 Palsgr. 731, I squier, I wayte upon, je baille attendance. Ibid., Is he your servant, he can squyre you as well as ever you were in your lyfe. 1599 B. Jonson Ev. Man out of Hum. Dram. Pers., His chiefe exercises are taking the Whiffe, squiring a Cockatrice. 1639 Mayne City Match ii. vi, A Gentleman of valour who has been In Moore-fields often..to squire his sisters. a 1692 Shadwell Volunteers ii. i. (1693) 20 Pray if you see my Daughter, do you Squire her. 1731 Swift To Gay Wks. 1751 IV. i. 168 To 'squire a royal girl of two years old. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. lxxx, Not a lady of fashion in the kingdom scrupled..to be squired by him. 1800 A. Carlyle Autobiog. 187 Lady Catherine Lyon, whom I squired that night, and with whom I danced. 1855 Kingsley Westw. Ho! xii, ‘Escort me, sir.’ ‘It is but too great an honour to squire the Queen of Bideford,’ said Cary, offering his hand. 1887 T. A. Trollope What I remember I. xii. 254, I have since squired many fairer and younger dames. 1962 D. Lessing Golden Notebk. i. 120 That second night of dancing she was squired by Stanley while her husband drank in the bar until it closed. 1977 Time 31 Jan. 31/1 At least one of Carter's aides turned up: Pollster Pat Caddell, who squired Hugh Hefner's daughter Christie. |
| transf. 1838 A. E. Bray Trad. Devonsh. I. 214 Some ladies who are not afraid of singularity, will occasionally squire one another when they are in want of a beau. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 28 Apr. 5/2 Sir Richard Webster, squired by Mr. Cuffe and Mr. Angus Lewis, made his appearance also in good time. |
† c. transf. To act or serve as an escort or guard to; to convoy. Obs.
| a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 366 The king of France..gart..prepair schips and gallayis..to squyre the king of Scottland his sone and his douchter throw the sie. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuff Wks. (Grosart) V. 249 Robin hoode and little Iohn..are industrious and carefull to squire and safe conduct him in. 1632 Holland Cyrupædia 175 To imagine that we ought to entertaine others for the guard and safetie of our persons, and be not a guard to squire and defend ourselves. |
2. intr. With it: To act as a squire; to play the squire; to rule or domineer over as a country squire.
| 1672 Marvell Reh. Transp. i. 69 It were a wild thing for me to Squire it after this Knight. 1739 ‘R. Bull’ tr. Dedekindus' Grobianus 91 Survey the Great, in City, Town, or Court, Who 'squire or lord it o'er the meaner Sort. |
3. trans. To entitle or call ‘Squire’ or ‘Esquire’.
| 1832 Tennyson in Ld. H. Tennyson Mem. (1897) I. 91 The title-page may be simply ‘Poems By Alfred Tennyson’ (don't let the printer squire me). |