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Canton vs County - What's the difference?

canton | county |

In historical terms the difference between canton and county

is that canton is the Chinese province of Guangdong while county is the land ruled by a count or a countess.

As a verb canton

is to delineate as a separate district.

As a proper noun Canton

is the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

As an adjective county is

characteristic of a ‘county family’; representative of the gentry or aristocracy of a county.

canton

English

(wikipedia canton)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Alternative forms

* kanton

Noun

(en noun)
  • A division of a political unit.
  • * Davies
    • that little canton of land called the "English pale"
  • * Bishop Burnet
    • There is another piece of Holbein's, in which, in six several cantons , the several parts of our Saviour's passion are represented.
  • # One of the states comprising the Swiss Confederation.
  • # A subdivision of an arrondissement of France.
  • # A division of Luxembourg, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc.
  • A small community or clan.
  • A subdivision of a flag, the rectangular inset on the upper hoist (i.e., flagpole) side (e.g., the stars of the US national flag are in a canton).
  • (heraldiccharge) A division of a shield occupying one third of the chief, usually on the dexter side, formed by a perpendicular line from the top meeting a horizontal line from the side.
  • * Evelyn
    • The king gave us the arms of England to be borne in a canton in our arms.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To delineate as a separate district.

    • Etymology 2

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete) A song or canto.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Write loyal cantons of contemned love.

    Anagrams

    * ----

    county

    English

    Noun

    (counties)
  • (historical) The land ruled by a count or a countess.
  • An administrative region of various countries, including Bhutan, Canada, China, Croatia, France, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Serbia and Montenegro and Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
  • A definitive geographic region, without direct administrative functions.
    • traditional county

    Usage notes

    * In American usage, counties are almost always designated as such, with the word "County" capitalized and following the name — e.g., "Lewis County", rarely "Lewis", and never "County Lewis." * In British usage, counties are referenced without designation — e.g. "Kent" and never "Kent County". The exception is Durham, which is often "County Durham" (but never "Durham County"). An organisation such as Kent County Council is the "County Council" of "Kent" and not the "Council" of "Kent County". * In Irish usage, counties are frequently referenced, but like Durham precede the name — e.g., "County Cork" or "Cork" and never "Cork County."

    Derived terms

    * countyhood * countywide * another county heard from * traditional county

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Characteristic of a ‘county family’; representative of the gentry or aristocracy of a county.
  • *1979 , , Smiley's People , Folio Society 2010, p. 274:
  • *:She was a tall girl and county , with Hilary's walk: she seemed to topple even when she sat.