shire-reeve

noun

A local official in Mediaeval England appointed by the King to oversee a shire.

OriginOld English scīrġerēfa →
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Meanings

nounshire-reeve (plural shire-reeves)

plural shire-reeves · alternative shirereeve · alternative shire reeve

  1. historicalA local official in Mediaeval England appointed by the King to oversee a shire.

Origin

  1. Old Englishscīrġerēfa“shire-reeve; sheriff”
  2. Englishshire-reeve

Compound of shire + reeve; calque of Old English scīrġerēfa (“shire-reeve; sheriff”).

More words from Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

shire-reeve. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shire-reeve

MLA

“shire-reeve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shire-reeve. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shire-reeve,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shire-reeve.

Source: shire-reeve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.