esquire: Meaning and Definition of

es•quire

Pronunciation: (es'kwīr, e-skwīr'), [key]
— n., v., -quired, -quir•ing.
—n.
  1. (cap.) an unofficial title of respect, having no precise significance, sometimes placed, esp. 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. Abbr.: Esq.
  2. squire (def. 2).
  3. a man belonging to the order of English gentry ranking next below a knight.
  4. squire (def. 1).
—v.t.
  1. to raise to the rank of esquire.
  2. to address as “Esquire.”
  3. to escort or attend in public.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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