Devonshire

D2E1V4O1N1S1H4I1R1E1
UK/ˈdɛv.ən.ʃə(ɹ)/

proper noun

Former name of Devon (“English county”) (until 1974).

OriginOld English Defenasċīr →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

proper nounDevonshire (countable and uncountable, plural Devonshires)

plural Devonshires

  1. A placename:
    1. countableuncountableFormer name of Devon (“English county”) (until 1974).
    2. countableuncountableAn English dukedom and earldom.
  2. countableA habitational surname.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
devon

Origin

  1. Old EnglishDefenasċīr
  2. EnglishDevonshire

From Old English Defenasċīr, equivalent to Devon + -shire.

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Devonshire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Devonshire

MLA

“Devonshire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Devonshire. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Devonshire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Devonshire.

Source: Devonshire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.