hessian
UK /ˈhɛsiən/ · US /ˈhɛʃən/ noun, adjective, proper noun
Forms hessians Hessean
- noun (chiefly UK) A strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks.
- adjective Of, from or relating to the state of Hesse, Germany.
- adjective Of or relating to the German mathematician Otto Hesse (1811–1874).
- noun A native or inhabitant of the state of Hesse, Germany.
- noun (historical) A mercenary soldier, especially a German one who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War.
- proper noun The Rhine Franconian dialect spoken in Hesse.
Synonyms
Etymology
See Hessian. Attributed to the historic use of the fabric as part of the uniform of soldiers from the former Landgraviate of Hesse and its successors, who were called Hessians.
From Hesse + -ian. Doublet of hessian.
Webster’s 1913
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “hessian”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details