Cities

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  City \Cit"y\ (s[i^]t"[y^]), n.; pl. {Cities} (s[i^]t"[i^]z).
     [OE. cite, F. cit['e], fr. L. civitas citizenship, state,
     city, fr. civis citizen; akin to Goth. heiwa (in heiwafrauja
     man of the house), AS. h[imac]wan, pl., members of a family,
     servants, h[imac]red family, G. heirath marriage, prop.,
     providing a house, E. hind a peasant.]


     1. A large town.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A corporate town; in the United States, a town or
        collective body of inhabitants, incorporated and governed
        by a mayor and aldermen or a city council consisting of a
        board of aldermen and a common council; in Great Britain,
        a town corporate, which is or has been the seat of a
        bishop, or the capital of his see.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A city is a town incorporated; which is, or has
              been, the see of a bishop; and though the bishopric
              has been dissolved, as at Westminster, it yet
              remaineth a city.                     --Blackstone
        [1913 Webster]
  
              When Gorges constituted York a city, he of course
              meant it to be the seat of a bishop, for the word
              city has no other meaning in English law. --Palfrey
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. The collective body of citizens, or inhabitants of a city.
        "What is the city but the people?" --Shak.
  
     Syn: See {Village}.
          [1913 Webster]