Word
squire
Phoneticssquire
US/ˈskwaɪɹ/
UK/skwˈaɪə/
Definition
n. a friendly way to address a man, often used by someone like a shopkeeper or a taxi driver. It is a very old-fashioned and casual British term.
n. a colloquial and informal term of address for a man, primarily used in British English to imply a friendly but slightly subordinate relationship. Often used by service workers or in lighthearted, mock-formal social interactions.
Examples
“What can I get for you today, squire?”
“The market trader grinned and asked the customer if he needed any help with those bags, squire.”
“While the term historically referred to a land-owning gentleman, its modern usage is almost exclusively a playful or slightly cheeky British vocative used between men in casual settings.”
Examples
simple
“What can I get for you today, squire?”
contextual
“The market trader grinned and asked the customer if he needed any help with those bags, squire.”
complex
“While the term historically referred to a land-owning gentleman, its modern usage is almost exclusively a playful or slightly cheeky British vocative used between men in casual settings.”
Usage
Used primarily as a vocative (a word used to address someone directly); informal and predominantly British.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/squire