Definition of "township" []

• A subdivision of a county in most northeast and Midwest U.S. states, having the status of a unit of local government with varying governmental powers. (noun)
• A public land surveying unit of 36 sections or 36 square miles. (noun)
• An ancient administrative division of a large parish in England. (noun)
• A racially segregated area in South Africa established by the government as a residence for people of color. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The township is interested, but the approval process is slow and may take a years."
• "MONDELLO: Without the word township, that could be Cleveland, no?"
• "Marriage, housing, schooling, jobs - everything was relevant to your racial classification: so, for example, a black parent might be forced to live in a different township from the white other parent and their colored children."