Cinque Ports

American  

[singk] / sɪŋk /

plural noun

1. a former association of maritime towns in SE England: originally (1278) numbering five (Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich) and receiving special privileges in return for aiding in the naval defense of England.

---

Cinque Ports British  

/ sɪŋk /

plural noun

1. an association of ports on the SE coast of England, originally consisting of Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich, which from late Anglo-Saxon times provided ships for the king's service in return for the profits of justice in their courts. The Cinque Ports declined with the growth of other ports and surrendered their charters in 1685

---

Etymology

Origin of Cinque Ports

1275–1325; Middle English cink pors < Old French cink porz. See cinque, port ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Cinque Ports

They are among 72 players competing over two circuits of Royal Cinque Ports in Kent on Tuesday.

From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2025

We reporters squeeze into an upstairs room of the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club, overlooking the English Channel.

From BBC ● May 28, 2024

Royal Cinque Ports hosted two Opens a century ago, while Dundonald Links near Royal Troon has hosted the Scottish Open.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 15, 2022

Royal Cinque Ports, meanwhile, has never hosted another Open.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 13, 2012

We have, unfortunately, very few illustrations of the thirteenth-century ships, and those which we do possess are taken from the corporate seals of some of the Cinque Ports and other southern seaport towns.

From Ancient and Modern Ships. Part 1. Wooden Sailing Ships by Holmes, George C. V.