Dictionary.com
definitions
  • synonyms

Hong Kong

or Hong·kong

[hong kong]
noun
  1. a British crown colony comprising Hong Kong island (29 sq. mi.; 75 sq. km), Kowloon peninsula, nearby islands, and the adjacent mainland in SE China (New Territories): reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. 404 sq. mi. (1046 sq. km). Capital: Victoria.
  2. Victoria(def 5).
Show More
Also called Xianggang.
Related formsHong Konger, Hong·kong·ite, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for hong kong

Historical Examples

  • In anticipation of hostilities an American fleet had concentrated at Hong-Kong.

    The Philippine Islands

    John Foreman

  • A few—very few—sent their sons to study in Europe, or in Hong-Kong.

  • Thence he escaped, and came over to Hong-Kong, where I made his acquaintance in 1890.

  • In Hong-Kong it is used, amongst other purposes, for wharf-decks or flooring.

  • In 1904 we met again in Hong-Kong, where he was established as a lawyer.

British Dictionary definitions for hong kong

Hong Kong

noun
  1. a Special Administrative Region of China, in the south of the country, with some autonomy; formerly a British Crown Colony: consists of Hong Kong Island, leased by China to Britain from 1842 until 1997, Kowloon Peninsula, Stonecutters Island, the New Territories (mainland), leased by China in 1898 for a 99-year period, and over 230 small islands; important entrepôt trade and manufacturing centre, esp for textiles and other consumer goods; university (1912). It retains its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar. Administrative centre: Victoria. Pop: 7 182 724 (2013 est). Area: 1046 sq km (404 sq miles)
  2. an island in Hong Kong region, south of Kowloon Peninsula: contains the capital, Victoria. Pop: 1 337 800 (2001). Area: 75 sq km (29 sq miles)
Show More
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hong kong

Hong Kong

from Cantonese pronunciation of Chinese Xianggang, literally "fragrant port." Perhaps so called from the scent of incense factories or opium cargoes, or from the semi-fresh waters of the bay. The word hong was the general English term for foreign trading establishments in China.

Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
hong kong in Culture

Hong Kong

Now a special administrative region of China; formerly a British colony, located on the south coast of China on the South China Sea, part of the Pacific Ocean.

Show More

Note

China ceded the island of Hong Kong to Britain in the nineteenth century. Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, when Britain's lease expired.

Note

One of the world's leading commercial centers, Hong Kong is home to many international corporate offices and a world-famous tailoring industry. China has given assurances that it will maintain Hong Kong's capitalistic (see capitalism) and democratic (see democracy) institutions.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.