%shir%

(Min.) A massive variety of fluor spar, found in Derbyshire, England, and wrought into vases and other ornamental work. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. A steam boiler having two flues which contain the furnaces and extend through the boiler from end to end. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A kind of nightgown for men. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A kind of Persian wine; -- so called from the place whence it is brought. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. scīre, scīr, a division, province, county. Cf. Sheriff. ] 1. A portion of Great Britain originally under the supervision of an earl; a territorial division, usually identical with a county, but sometimes limited to a smaller district; as, Wiltshire, Yorkshire, Richmondshire, Hallamshire. [ 1913 Webster ]

An indefinite number of these hundreds make up a county or shire. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A division of a State, embracing several contiguous townships; a county. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Shire is commonly added to the specific designation of a county as a part of its name; as, Yorkshire instead of York shire, or the shire of York; Berkshire instead of Berks shire. Such expressions as the county of Yorkshire, which in a strict sense are tautological, are used in England. In the United States the composite word is sometimes the only name of a county; as, Berkshire county, as it is called in Massachusetts, instead of Berks county, as in Pensylvania. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Tyne, Tees, Humber, Wash, Yare, Stour, and Thames separate the counties of Northumberland, Durham, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, etc. Encyc. Brit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knight of the shire. See under Knight. --
Shire clerk, an officer of a county court; also, an under sheriff. [ Eng. ] --
Shire mote (Old. Eng. Law), the county court; sheriff's turn, or court. [ Obs. ] Cowell. Blackstone. --
Shire reeve (Old Eng. Law), the reeve, or bailiff, of a shire; a sheriff. Burrill. --
Shire town, the capital town of a county; a county town. --
Shire wick, a county; a shire. [ Obs. ] Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

. One of an English breed of heavy draft horses believed to be descended largely from the horses used in war in the days of heavy armor. They are the largest of the British draft breeds, and have long hair on the back of the cannons and fetlocks. Brown or bay with white on the face and legs is now the commonest color. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Shirked p. pr. & vb. n. Shirking. ] [ Probably the same word as shark. See Shark, v. t. ] 1. To procure by petty fraud and trickery; to obtain by mean solicitation. [ 1913 Webster ]

You that never heard the call of any vocation, . . . that shirk living from others, but time from Yourselves. Bp. Rainbow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To avoid; to escape; to neglect; -- implying unfaithfulness or fraud; as, to shirk duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

The usual makeshift by which they try to shirk difficulties. Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To live by shifts and fraud; to shark. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To evade an obligation; to avoid the performance of duty, as by running away. [ 1913 Webster ]

One of the cities shirked from the league. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who lives by shifts and tricks; one who avoids the performance of duty or labor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who shirks. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed to shirk. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shrill. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) See Schorl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The bullfinch. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Sewing) A series of close parallel runnings which are drawn up so as to make the material between them set full by gatherings; -- called also shirring, and gauging. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. (Sewing) Made or gathered into a shirr; as, a shirred bonnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Cookery) Broken into an earthen dish and baked over the fire; -- said of eggs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. schirte, sherte, schurte; akin to Icel. skyrta, Dan. skiorte, Sw. skjorta, Dan. skiört a petticoat, D. schort a petticoat, an argon, G. schurz, schürze, an argon; all probably from the root of E. short, as being originally a short garment. See Short, and cf. Skirt. ] A loose under-garment for the upper part of the body, made of cotton, linen, or other material; -- formerly used of the under-garment of either sex, now commonly restricted to that worn by men and boys. [ 1913 Webster ]

Several persons in December had nothing over their shoulders but their shirts. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

She had her shirts and girdles of hair. Bp. Fisher. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ imp. & p. p. Shirted; p. pr. & vb. n. Shirting. ] To cover or clothe with a shirt, or as with a shirt. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Cloth, specifically cotton cloth, suitable for making shirts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not having or wearing a shirt. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Shirt"less*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

. [ shirt + waist; see waist{ 3 }, n. ] 1. A woman's blouse resembling a men's shirt in cut and style; -- in England called a blouse. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]

2. a type of woman's dress with a bodice tailored like a shirt; -- also called shirt dress, shirtwaist dress, and shirtwaister. [ RHUD ] [ PJC ]

. A costume consisting of a plain belted blouse and skirt of the same material. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ From Shropshire, country of England. ] An English breed of black-faced hornless sheep similar to the Southdown, but larger, now extensively raised in many parts of the world. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ , n. (Zool.) The common guillemot. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A shirt worn next the skin, under another shirt; -- called also undervest. [ 1913 Webster ]