See Also: shire(1)(dictionary)
shire(2)(dictionary)
shire(dictionary)
SHIRE, Eng(law)
Shire Pharmaceuticals(finance)
Shire River(encyclopedia)
shire horse(dictionary)
Shire Pharmaceuticals Group(finance)

shire(1) (iou)



shire adjective. obsolete exc. dial.
[Old English scir = Old Frisian skire, Old Saxon skir(i), Old Norse skirr, Gothic skeirs, from Germanic base also of SHINE verb. Cf. SHEER adjective & adverb.]
Bright, shining; fig. illustrious, noble. OE-L15.
Of water etc.: clear, translucent. OE-L18.
Of a substance: pure, unmixed. OE-LME.
Morally or spiritually clean; blameless. Only in ME.
Unmitigated, unqualified; absolute; (with neg.) mere. ME.
Thin; insubstantial; sparse, scanty; (of beer) low in alcohol, weak. LME.