Westchester

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A county in southeastern New York State, just north of New York City, known for its suburbs ; a small terrier breed first developed in England for hunting
2. A suburban county lying north of New York City in the state of New York ; a compact, long-haired terrier dog originally bred for hunting vermin
3. An affluent county in southeastern New York State bordering the city ; a small, lively terrier with a silky coat bred for sport and companionship

Etymology: Westchester is a place name, and its history is simple: it combines "west" with "Chester," the English city. The name was given to the New York county in the colonial period, when English settlers and officials named territories after places back home. Chester itself is a city in the northwest of England, near the Welsh border, and its name goes back to the Roman fort there, from Latin "castra," meaning camp, which is why so many English towns have "chester" or "caster" in their names. Westchester therefore means something like "the western Chester," distinguishing it from another settlement or region with the same name. Its place in the American map is a reminder that colonial naming often carried English geography across the Atlantic, with a compass point added to tell the new place apart from its model.