township: Meaning and Definition of

town•ship

Pronunciation: (toun'ship), [key]
— n.
  1. a unit of local government, usually a subdivision of a county, found in most midwestern and northeastern states of the U.S. and in most Canadian provinces.
  2. (in U.S. surveys of public land) a region or district approximately 6 miles square (93.2 sq. km), containing 36 sections.
    1. one of the local divisions or districts of a large parish, each containing a village or small town, usually with a church of its own.
    2. the manor, parish, etc., itself.
    3. its inhabitants.
  3. (in Australia)
    1. a small town or settlement serving as the business center of a rural area.
    2. the business center of a town or suburb.
  4. (in South Africa) a segregated residential settlement for blacks, located outside a city or town.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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