From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe shiresthe shires (also the shire counties)PGAREA counties in England that mostly consist of country areas → shire
Examples from the Corpus
the shires• He had not realised how much he would miss his family and the work of breeding and breaking the shires with George.• As political life became dominated by people who were in it as a career, the shires felt betrayed.• They generally live in the shires and eat cakes and cucumber sandwiches.• Research and development centres were located in the shires. 6.• Already there are mutterings in the shires.• He looked as if he had just stepped out of a drawing room in the shires.• And, going back to the shires ... harnessing horse power to clear the woods.• And addiction to crack spreads to the shires. 