district

noun: 1. a division of territory, as of a country, state, or county, marked off for administrative, electoral, or other purposes. 2. a region or locality: the theater district; the Lake District. 3. an area of land marked off for administrative or other purposes. 4. a locality separated by geographical attributes; region. 5. any subdivision of any territory, region, etc. 6. a territorial division (as for administrative or electoral purposes). 7. an area, region, or section with a distinguishing character: a shopping district; the Financial District of San Francisco. Recent Example: Gains by the GOP are much more likely, and Republicans are confident they can use the impeachment votes by many House Democrats against them — starting with those representing districts won by Trump in 2016. --Juliegrace Brufke, 12.27.19. verb: 1. to divide or organize into districts. as modifier: district nurse. British: a subdivision of a county or a town. "the District," the District of Columbia; Washington, D.C. in England from 1974 and in Wales 1974–96: any of the subdivisions of the nonmetropolitan counties that elects a council responsible for local planning, housing, rates, etc. See also metropolitan district. metropolitan district: any of the districts making up the metropolitan counties of England: since 1986 they have functioned as unitary authorities, forming the sole principal tier of local government. Each metropolitan district has an elected council responsible for education, social services, etc. in Scotland: 1. (until 1975) a landward division of a county. 2. (1975–96) any of the subdivisions of the regions that elected a council responsible for environmental health services, housing, etc. in Northern Ireland: 1. any of the 26 areas into which Northern Ireland has been divided since 1973. Elected district councils are responsible for environmental health services, etc. 2. the basic administrative unit for local government in Northern Ireland. More Examples: Six police officers are in charge of the district. She represents the eighth congressional district. Related Words: sector, commune, neighborhood, locality, parish, region, community, department, precinct, territory, section, parcel, locale, vicinity, turf, ward, quarter, vicinage. Synonyms: nabe, neighborhood, quarter, section. Origin: 1605–15; (< F) < Medieval Latin distrīctus exercise of justice, (area of) jurisdiction, derivative of Latin distringere to stretch out (see distrain), equivalent to di- di-2 + strig- (base of stringere to bind, tie) + -tus suffix of verbal action. C17: from Medieval Latin districtus area of jurisdiction, from Latin distringere to stretch out; see distrain. First Known Use: Noun: 1611. Verb: 1792. History and Etymology: Noun: French, from Medieval Latin districtus jurisdiction, district, from distringere to distrain — more at distrain. Source 1, Source 2.