Town \Town\ (toun), n. [OE. toun, tun, AS. tun inclosure, fence,
village, town; akin to D. tuin a garden, G. zaun a hadge,
fence, OHG. zun, Icel. tun an inclosure, homestead, house,
Ir. & Gael. dun a fortress, W. din. Cf. Down, adv. & prep.,
Dune, tine to inclose.]
1. Formerly:
(a) An inclosure which surrounded the mere homestead or
dwelling of the lord of the manor. [Obs.]
(b) The whole of the land which constituted the domain.
[Obs.]
(c) A collection of houses inclosed by fences or walls.
[Obs.] --Palsgrave.
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2. Any number or collection of houses to which belongs a
regular market, and which is not a city or the see of a
bishop. [Eng.] --Johnson.
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3. Any collection of houses larger than a village, and not
incorporated as a city; also, loosely, any large, closely
populated place, whether incorporated or not, in
distinction from the country, or from rural communities.
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God made the country, and man made the town.
--Cowper.
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4. The body of inhabitants resident in a town; as, the town
voted to send two representatives to the legislature; the
town voted to lay a tax for repairing the highways.
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5. A township; the whole territory within certain limits,
less than those of a country. [U. S.]
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6. The court end of London; -- commonly with the.
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7. The metropolis or its inhabitants; as, in winter the
gentleman lives in town; in summer, in the country.
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Always hankering after the diversions of the town.
--Addison.
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Stunned with his giddy larum half the town. --Pope.
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Note: The same form of expressions is used in regard to other
populous towns.
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8. A farm or farmstead; also, a court or farmyard. [Prov.
Eng. & Scot.]
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Note: Town is often used adjectively or in combination with
other words; as, town clerk, or town-clerk; town-crier,
or town crier; townhall, town-hall, or town hall;
townhouse, town house, or town-house.
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Syn: Village; hamlet. See Village.
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Town clerk, an office who keeps the records of a town, and
enters its official proceedings. See Clerk.
Town cress (Bot.), the garden cress, or peppergrass. --Dr.
Prior.
Town house.
(a) A house in town, in distinction from a house in the
country.
(b) See Townhouse.
Town meeting, a legal meeting of the inhabitants of a town
entitled to vote, for the transaction of public bisiness.
[U. S.]
Town talk, the common talk of a place; the subject or topic
of common conversation.
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