Es*quire" (?), n. [OF. escuyer, escuier, properly, a shield-bearer, F. écuyer shield-bearer, armor-bearer, squire of a knight, esquire, equerry, rider, horseman, LL. scutarius shield-bearer, fr. L. scutum shield, akin to Gr. &?; skin, hide, from a root meaning to cover; prob. akin to E. hide to cover. See Hide to cover, and cf. Equerry, Escutcheon.] Originally, a shield-bearer or armor-bearer, an attendant on a knight; in modern times, a title of dignity next in degree below knight and above gentleman; also, a title of office and courtesy; -- often shortened to squire.

&fist; In England, the title of esquire belongs by right of birth to the eldest sons of knights and their eldest sons in perpetual succession; to the eldest sons of younger sons of peers and their eldest sons in perpetual succession. It is also given to sheriffs, to justices of the peace while in commission, to those who bear special office in the royal household, to counselors at law, bachelors of divinity, law, or physic, and to others. In the United States the title is commonly given in courtesy to lawyers and justices of the peace, and is often used in the superscription of letters instead of Mr.

Es*quire" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Esquired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Esquiring.] To wait on as an esquire or attendant in public; to attend. [Colloq.]

• (archaic) a squire; a youth who in the hopes of becoming a knight attended upon a knight
  
• (obsolete) a shield-bearer, but also applied to other attendants.
       
• 1801: Joseph Strutt, The Sports and Pastimes of the People of England - The office of the esquire consisted of several departments; the esquire for the body, the esquire of the chamber, the esquire of the stable, and the carving esquire; the latter stood in the hall at dinner, carved the different dishes, and distributed them to the guests.
  
• a male member of the gentry ranking below a knight
  
• an honorific sometimes placed after a man's name
       
• (RQ:Shakespeare Henry 4-2), III-ii - I am Robert Shallow, sir; a poor esquire of the county, and one of the king's justices of the peace.
       
• 1875 Herbert Broom and Edward Hadley, notes by William Wait, Commentaries on the laws of England, I-317 - Esquires and gentlemen are confounded together by Sir Edward Coke, who observes that every esquire is a gentleman, and a gentleman is defined to be one qui arma gerit, who bears coat-armour, the grant of which was thought to add gentility to a man's family. It is indeed a matter somewhat unsettled what constitutes the distinction, or who is a real esquire; for no estate, however large, per se confers this rank upon its owner.
  
• A gentleman who attends or escorts a lady in public.
  
• (transitive) (obsolete) To attend, wait on, escort.
  
• (heraldry) A bearing somewhat resembling a gyron, but extending across the field so that the point touches the opposite edge of the escutcheon.