Anglo-Saxon
Americannoun
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an English person of the period before the Norman Conquest.
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the original Germanic element in the English language.
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plain and simple English, especially language that is blunt, monosyllabic, and often rude or vulgar.
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a person whose native language is English.
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a person of English descent.
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(in the U.S.) a person of colonial descent or British origin.
adjective
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of, relating to, or characteristic of the Anglo-Saxons.
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of or relating to Anglo-Saxon.
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English-speaking; British or American.
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(of words, speech, or writing) blunt, monosyllabic, and often vulgar.
noun
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a member of any of the West Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) that settled in Britain from the 5th century ad and were dominant until the Norman conquest
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the language of these tribes See Old English
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any White person whose native language is English and whose cultural affiliations are those common to Britain and the US
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informal plain blunt English, esp English containing taboo words
adjective
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forming part of the Germanic element in Modern English
``forget'' is an Anglo-Saxon word
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of or relating to the Anglo-Saxons or the Old English language
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of or relating to the White Protestant culture of Britain, Australia, and the US
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informal (of English speech or writing) plain and blunt
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of or relating to Britain and the US, esp their common legal, political, and commercial cultures, as compared to continental Europe
Etymology
Origin of Anglo-Saxon
1605–15; based on New Latin, Medieval Latin Anglo-Saxōnēs, Anglī Saxōnēs (plural); from 10th cent., collective name for WGmc-speaking people of Britain (compare Old English Angulseaxan ); see Angle, Saxon
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As part of this cultural diplomatic exchange, the UK is lending France one of the British Museum's prize exhibits - treasures from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo burial.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
England’s Midlands region was once the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
French museums will in exchange be loaned ancient treasures mainly from the Anglo-Saxon Sutton Hoo site, one of England's most important archaeological locations.
From Barron's ● Jan. 15, 2026
His first major discovery was of a grand Roman villa estate near Northampton, and that was followed by an Anglo-Saxon cemetery.
From BBC ● Dec. 27, 2025
The Beowulf poet does the same thing when he barks, “Hwaet!” which is Anglo-Saxon for “listen up.”
From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
