count palatine: Meaning and Definition of

count' pal'atine

Pronunciation: [key]
— pl. counts palatine.
  1. (formerly, in Germany) a count having jurisdiction in his fief or province.
  2. Also calledan earl or other county proprietor who exercised royal prerogatives within his county.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.