Berkshire

English

Etymology

From Middle English Barrokschire, Berchesire, Barrokshyre, Berrucsire, from Old English Bearrocscire, Berrocscire, Bearrucscire, taken from the Bearroc woods, possibly from Proto-Brythonic *barrọg, perhaps meaning “hilly” (compare *barros (“hill, peak, top”)) + Old English sċīr (“shire, county”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːkʃə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɚkʃɚ/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Proper noun

Berkshire

1. An inland county of England, bounded by Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Surrey, Greater London and Wiltshire.
   • 2005, David Langford, The Sex Column and Other Misprints, page 66:

     My convention diary is unusually disjointed, since I was mingily commuting from Berkshire rather than pay £65 per night for a single room.

2. A place in the United States:
   1. A community of Sandy Hook, Newtown, Fairfield County, Connecticut.
   2. A town in Tioga County, New York.
   3. An unincorporated community and township in Delaware County, Ohio.
   4. A town in Franklin County, Vermont.

Synonyms

• Berks
• Brks.

Derived terms

• Berkshire Hathaway
• Berkshire County (US)
• West Berkshire

Translations

inland county in England

• Czech: Berkshire m
• Greek: Μπέρκσαϊρ (el) n (Bérksaïr)
• Gujarati: બાર્ક્ષિર (bārkṣir)
• Hindi: बार्क्षिर (bārkṣir)
• Kannada: ಬಾರ್ಕ್ಷಿರ್ (bārkṣir)
• Middle English: Barrokschire
• Polish: Berkshire (pl)
• Russian: Беркшир m (Berkšir)
• Scots: Berkshire
• Spanish: Berkshire m
• Telugu: బార్క్షిర్ (bārkṣir)
• Ukrainian: Беркшир m (Berkšyr)

Noun

Berkshire (plural Berkshires)

1. A breed of pig from Berkshire county.
2. (rail transport) A steam locomotive of the 2-8-4 wheel arrangement.
   • 1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co.:

     Erie, always an interesting road to watch, fortified itself in the late '20's with the largest roster of Berkshires in the land, and these engines were easily able to sustain the road until dieselization …

Translations

Berkshire pig

• Polish: berkszyr m