The name given to the principal subdivisions of the kingdom of Eng-land and of most of the states of the American Union, denoting a distinct portion of territory organized by Itself for political and Judicial purposes. The etymology of the word shows it to have been the district an-ciently governed by a count or earl. In mod-em use, the word may denote elther the ter-rltory marked off to form a county, or the citizens resident within such territory, tak-en collectively and consldered as invested with polltlcal rights, or the county regarded as a municipal corporation possessing subordinate governmental powers, or an organ-lzed .jural society invested with specific rights and duties. Patterson v. Temple, 27 Ark. 207; Eagle v. Beard, 33 Ark. 501; wooster v. Plymouth, 62 N. H. 208
