a native or inhabitant of Hesse.
a Hessian mercenary used by England during the American Revolution.
a hireling or ruffian.
(lowercase) burlap.
Also called Hessian andiron. (in the U.S.) an andiron having as an upright the figure of a Hessian soldier of the Revolutionary War.
a native or inhabitant of Hesse
a Hessian soldier in any of the mercenary units of the British Army in the War of American Independence or the Napoleonic Wars
any German mercenary in the British Army during the War of American Independence
a mercenary or ruffian
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Their seasoned troops, reinforced by Hessian mercenaries, faced an amateurish and poorly provisioned army of colonials.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
Mazzei’s vineyards showed promise but, according to one legend, were destroyed during the Revolutionary War by rambunctious Hessian prisoners bivouacked there.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 16, 2023
Maniscalco was the co-founder of the Hessian Motorcycle Club.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 16, 2023
“This is really an opportunity to expand our knowledge of the Hessian forces — about their material culture, about the men themselves,” Dr. Catts said.
From New York Times ● Aug. 2, 2022
To his horror he discovered a third Hessian.
From "The Fighting Ground" by Avi
Bethan Thomas, of Project Seagrass, said seeds could be planted using hessian bags or by mixing them with mud before injecting them straight into the seabed.
From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2023
Jacquemus’ invite was a giant hessian tote bag with thick rope-like straps.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 25, 2018
And the hessian fly, a pest of wheat, has crossed the Mediterranean from North Africa into Spain, Portugal and southern France.
From Nature ● Sep. 25, 2013
I confess to having no idea what "carrot sacks" are: probably not the kind of coarse hessian sack in which one might transport 20 kilos of carrots, but then what?
From The Guardian ● Sep. 28, 2012
One of the legs collapsed and it fell backwards, revealing crossed lattice strips of hessian on its underside.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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.
