Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Hanse

//hæns// noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A merchant guild, particularly the Fellowship of London Merchants (the "Old Hanse") given a monopoly on London's foreign trade by the Normans or its successor, the Company of Merchant Adventurers (the "New Hanse"), incorporated in 1497 and chartered under Henry VII and Elizabeth I. historical
  2. 2
    Alternative form of Hanse, a merchant guild or a former commercial league of German cities. alt-of, alternative, historical

    "The town does not seem to have had a hanse, nor have there been discovered any records showing the existence of medieval trade guilds; […]"

  3. 3
    That part of an elliptical or many-centred arch which has the shorter radius and immediately adjoins the impost.

    "Now Workmen call each End of these Arches the Hanse, which Hanses are always the Arches of smaller Circles than the Scheme, which is the middle Part of these Arches, and consists of a Part of a larger Circle […]"

  4. 4
    The rights and privileges of such guilds, particularly their trade monopolies. historical
  5. 5
    The guildhall of a Hanse. historical
Show 4 more definitions
  1. 6
    A commercial association of Scottish free burghs in the Middle Ages. historical
  2. 7
    A fee payable to the Hanse, particularly its entrance fee and the impost levied on non-members trading in its area. historical
  3. 8
    The Hanseatic League: a commercial association of German towns in the Middle Ages. historical
  4. 9
    Alternative form of hanse, the fees payable to a Hanse or its guildhall. alt-of, alternative, historical

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English hanse, from Old French hanse (“guild; guild fee”), from Medieval Latin hansa, from Old High German hansa, from Proto-West Germanic *hansu, from Proto-Germanic *hansō (“gathering; coalition; gang of men”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱómsōd (“union; gathering”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“beside, by, with, along”) + *sed- (“to sit”). In reference to the Hanseatic League, via German Hanse. Cognate with Old English hōs (“company, retinue, escorts”),

Etymology 2

See Hanse.

Etymology 3

Compare French anse (“handle”), anse de panier (“surbased arch, flat arch, vault”), and English haunch (“hip”).

See also for "hanse"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: hanse