Lan·ca·shire /ˈlæŋkəʃə $ -ʃɪr/ (written abbreviation Lancs.) a county in northwest England, which was once the centre of the cotton industry in the UK and had many factories that produced cloth. The large cities of Liverpool and Manchester were formerly part of Lancashire, but now form their own local government areas. Traditionally, there has always been a lot of rivalry (=competition or fighting) between Lancashire and the nearby county of Yorkshire. → see also Wars of the Roses, the