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noun
1.
(initial capital letter) an unofficial title of respect, having no precise significance, sometimes placed, especially in its abbreviated form, after a man's surname in formal written address: in the U.S., usually applied to lawyers, women as well as men; in Britain, applied to a commoner considered to have gained the social position of a gentleman. Abbreviation: Esq.
2.
squire (def. 2).
3.
a man belonging to the order of English gentry ranking next below a knight.
4.
Archaic. squire (def. 1).
verb (used with object)
5.
to raise to the rank of esquire.
6.
to address as “Esquire.”
7.
to escort or attend in public.
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Esquire
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is lollygag. Does it mean:
| to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax. |
| to spend time idly; loaf. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
esquire
late 14c., from M.Fr. esquier "squire," lit. "shield-bearer" (for a knight), from O.Fr., from L. scutarius "shield-bearer, guardsman," from scutum "shield" (see hide (n.1)). Cf. squire. Originally the feudal rank below knight, sense broadened 16c.
EXPANDto a general title of courtesy or respect for the educated class, especially, later, in U.S., for lawyers.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia
esquire
originally, a knight's shield bearer, who would probably himself in due course be dubbed a knight; the word is derived from the Old French esquier and earlier from the Latin scutarius.
Learn more about esquire with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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