%unty%

n.; pl. Bounties [ OE. bounte goodness, kindness, F. bonté, fr. L. bonitas, fr. bonus good, for older duonus; cf. Skr. duvas honor, respect. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Goodness, kindness; virtue; worth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Nature set in her at once beauty with bounty. Gower. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Liberality in bestowing gifts or favors; gracious or liberal giving; generosity; munificence. [ 1913 Webster ]

My bounty is as boundless as the sea. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which is given generously or liberally. “Thy morning bounties.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A premium offered or given to induce men to enlist into the public service; or to encourage any branch of industry, as husbandry or manufactures. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bounty jumper, one who, during the latter part of the Civil War, enlisted in the United States service, and deserted as soon as possible after receiving the bounty. [ Collog. ] --
Queen Anne's bounty (Eng. Hist.), a provision made in Queen Anne's reign for augmenting poor clerical livings. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Munificence; generosity; beneficence. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. Goodness; generosity. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Counties [ F. comté, fr. LL. comitatus. See Count. ] 1. An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A circuit or particular portion of a state or kingdom, separated from the rest of the territory, for certain purposes in the administration of justice and public affairs; -- called also a shire. See Shire. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every county, every town, every family, was in agitation. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A count; an earl or lord. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

County commissioners. See Commissioner. --
County corporate, a city or town having the privilege to be a county by itself, and to be governed by its own sheriffs and other magistrates, irrespective of the officers of the county in which it is situated; as London, York, Bristol, etc. [ Eng. ] Mozley & W. --
County court, a court whose jurisdiction is limited to county. --
County palatine, a county distinguished by particular privileges; -- so called a palatio (from the palace), because the owner had originally royal powers, or the same powers, in the administration of justice, as the king had in his palace; but these powers are now abridged. The counties palatine, in England, are Lancaster, Chester, and Durham. --
County rates, rates levied upon the county, and collected by the boards of guardians, for the purpose of defraying the expenses to which counties are liable, such as repairing bridges, jails, etc. [ Eng. ] --
County seat, a county town. [ U.S. ] --
County sessions, the general quarter sessions of the peace for each county, held four times a year. [ Eng. ] --
County town, the town of a county, where the county business is transacted; a shire town. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. including or occurring in all parts of a county; as, a countywide war on drugs; countywide elections. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Compar. Jauntier superl. Jauntiest. ] [ Formerly spelt janty, fr. F. gentil. See Gentle, and cf. Genty. ] Airy; showy; finical; hence, characterized by an affected or fantastical manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. montée, fr. monter. See Mount, v. ] The rise of a hawk after prey. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Glass Making) See Pontee. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like a runt; diminutive; mean. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To untie. [ Archaic ] Young. [ 1913 Webster ]