English Reference

Word

hampshire

Phoneticshamp·shire

/ˈhæmpʃaɪɝ/

Definitions

01English county

B1

n. a large county on the south coast of England, known for its ports and countryside.

n. a ceremonial county in South East England, bordered by Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey, and West Sussex.

“We spent our summer holiday exploring the historic towns of Hampshire.”

“The port of Southampton serves as a major economic hub for the county of Hampshire, facilitating international trade and cruise tourism.”

Synonyms

Hants

02US state

B2

n. a short way of saying New Hampshire, a state in the northeastern United States.

n. an elliptical reference to New Hampshire, a state in the New England region of the United States.

“He grew up in a small town in rural Hampshire before moving to Boston.”

“Voters in Hampshire are known for their independent streak during the primary election cycle.”

American English

Synonyms

New Hampshire

03breed of pig

C2

n. a type of farm pig that is black with a white band around its middle.

n. a domestic breed of pig characterized by erect ears, a black body, and a white belt covering the forelegs and shoulders.

“The farmer raised Hampshire pigs because they are known for having lean meat.”

“The Hampshire breed remains a staple of American swine production due to its reputation for high-quality carcass traits and foraging ability.”

Technical

Real-World Examples

“As part of plans to address water shortages, the government and water companies are planning nine new reservoirs for England by 2050 , in addition to one under construction at Havant Thicket in Hampshire.”
BBC News · 7 Aug 2026
“Firefighters are continuing to tackle a blaze in the New Forest in Hampshire , with warnings across parts of eastern and southern Scotland about a very high risk of wildfires.”
The Guardian · 12 Aug 2026
“Clare Howard, from Hampshire, who has kept chickens for years, was one of the first volunteers to receive the vaccine on this new H5N1 trial, at a clinic in Southampton.”
BBC News · 21 Apr 2026

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Hampteschire, from Old English Hāmtūnsċīr, from Hāmtūn (“Southampton”) + sċīr (“shire”). For the development of epenthetic /p/, compare Thompson. The community in Prince Edward Island is named after the county in England. The name was inspired by nearby Wiltshire.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference