town cress

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

God made the country, and man made the town.— Cowper.[1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

5.A township; the whole territory within certain limits, less than those of a country. [U. S.] [1913 Webster]

6.The court end of London; -- commonly with the. [1913 Webster]

7.The metropolis or its inhabitants; as, in winter the gentleman lives in town; in summer, in the country. [1913 Webster]

Always hankering after the diversions of the town.— Addison.[1913 Webster]

Stunned with his giddy larum half the town.— Pope.[1913 Webster]

Note: The same form of expressions is used in regard to other populous towns. [1913 Webster]

8.A farm or farmstead; also, a court or farmyard. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

Syn: Village; hamlet. See Village. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]