Town \Town\, 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.

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.

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.

God made the country, and man made the town. --Cowper.

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.

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

6. The court end of London;-- commonly with the.

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

Always hankering after the diversions of the town. --Addison.

Stunned with his giddy larum half the town. --Pope.

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

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

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.

Syn: Village; hamlet. See Village.

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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)