English Reference

Word

kent

Phoneticskent

US/ˈkɛnt/

UK/kˈɛnt/

Definitions

01English county

B1

n. a county in the southeast of England, known for its fruit trees and gardens.

n. a maritime county in southeast England, often referred to as the 'Garden of England'.

“We spent the weekend visiting the white cliffs and castles in Kent.”

“The agricultural heritage of Kent remains evident in the numerous oast houses and orchards that dot the landscape of the North Downs.”

04shepherd's staff

C2

n. a long pole or staff used by a shepherd.

n. a long pole or pike, specifically one used by shepherds or for leaping over ditches in certain regions.

“The shepherd leaned on his kent while watching the sheep in the valley.”

“Traditional leaping-poles, sometimes called kents, were essential tools for navigating the marshy terrain of the local fens.”

Dialect

Synonyms

Real-World Examples

“She also wanted to move back home to Kent, but was worried about how she'd get on the housing ladder on her cabin crew salary.”
BBC News · 4 Aug 2026
“Last month Alex, who is a pupil at Tonbridge School in Kent, became the first person to win a medal at the olympiad for seven years in a row.”
The Guardian · 3 Aug 2026

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English Kent, from Old English Cent, from Latin Cantium, from Brythonic Cantio (compare Old Irish céite (“gathering, folkmoot, hillock”)), from Proto-Celtic kantos (“corner, rim”).

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

This entry

Level
C2 · Proficiency
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/kent

English Reference