hampshire
n. uncountablen. a county on the south coast of England. It is famous for its green countryside, historic cities like Winchester, and busy ports like Portsmouth and Southampton.
n. a non-metropolitan county situated on the southern coast of England. It serves as a significant administrative and historical region, encompassing the New Forest and major maritime gateways.
We spent our summer holiday hiking through the Hampshire countryside.
Many commuters choose to live in Hampshire because it offers a balance of rural scenery and fast rail links to London.
The literary history of Hampshire is notably rich, as the county provided the backdrop for much of Jane Austen's life and served as the primary inspiration for her depictions of rural society.
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.
As a proper noun, it is typically used without an article unless followed by a specific qualifying phrase.