Chesterfield

See also: chesterfield

English

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

Proper noun

Chesterfield

1. Any of a number of settlements:
   1. A market town and borough in Derbyshire, England.
   2. A hamlet in Wall parish, Lichfield district, Staffordshire, England (OS grid ref SK1005)
   3. The Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261, a rural municipality in west Saskatchewan, Canada.
   4. A number of places in the United States:
      1. A village in the town of Montville, New London County, Connecticut.
      2. A ghost town and historic district in Caribou County, Idaho.
      3. A village and township in Macoupin County, Illinois.
      4. A town in Union Township, Madison County and Salem Township, Delaware County, Indiana.
      5. A town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts.
      6. A township and unincorporated community therein, in Macomb County, Michigan.
      7. A city in St. Louis County, Missouri.
      8. A town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire.
      9. A township and unincorporated community therein, in Burlington County, New Jersey.
      10. A town in Essex County, New York.
      11. A township in Fulton County, Ohio.
      12. A town, the county seat of Chesterfield County, South Carolina.
      13. A census-designated place in Henderson County, Tennessee.
      14. A neighbourhood of West Valley City, Salt Lake County, Utah.
      15. Ellipsis of Chesterfield County.

Derived terms

• Chesterfield County
• Chesterfield Court House

 

Etymology 2

In reference to Lord Chesterfield, author of Principles of Politeness and of Knowing the World, 1786.

Noun

Chesterfield (plural Chesterfields)

1. (dated) An extremely polite person.
   • 1901, Mrs. John A. Logan, Thirty Years in Washington, page 141:

     The White House attendants are Chesterfields of politeness, and the visitor must be aggressive and persistent indeed who is not kept within proper limits without having his sensibilities wounded.

   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     "The man-eatin' Papuans had me once, but they are Chesterfields compared to this crowd."