Hong Kong

or Hong·kong

[ hong-kong ]

/ ˈhɒŋ ˈkɒŋ /

Save This Word!

noun

a special administrative region of China, formerly a British colony, comprising Hong Kong Island (29 sq. mi.; 75 sq. km), the southern part of Kowloon peninsula, nearby islands, and the New Territories in adjacent mainland southeast China: reverted to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. 427 sq. mi. (1,106 sq. km).

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Also called (Pinyin) Xiang·gang

[shyahng-gahng] /ˈʃyɑŋˈgɑŋ/ .

Origin of Hong Kong

First recorded in 1840–45; possibly from Chinese (Guangdong dialect) Hēung Góng “Fragrant Harbor, Incense Harbor” (the two syllables do not rhyme in Guangdong dialect)

OTHER WORDS FROM Hong Kong

Hong Konger, Hongkongite, noun

Words nearby Hong Kong

honey trap, honey wagon, honeywort, hong, hongi, Hong Kong, Hong Kongese, Hongshui He, Hongwu, Hong Xiu Quan, Honiara

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Hong Kong in a sentence

Hong Kong no longer sees mass protests of the kind that swept the city in 2019, and under a sweepingly repressive national security law, it’s unclear that it will again anytime soon.
Hong Kongers crowdsourced a protest manual—and Myanmar’s already using it|Mary Hui|February 25, 2021|Quartz
We exchanged notes periodically in the months that followed, but the next time I saw him was at the International Summit on Genome Editing in Hong Kong in 2018, two days after Regalado had forced him to go public before he planned.
Decoding the CRISPR-baby stories|Katie McLean|February 24, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The company’s Hong Kong park is set to reopen Friday but has closed several times before.
Disney took a hit during the pandemic, but you wouldn’t know it from its stock price|Steven Zeitchik|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Protesters are sharing images across social media, and have looked to the tactics and slogans of movements in Hong Kong and Thailand for inspiration.
Myanmar's Creatives Are Fighting Military Rule With Art—Despite the Threat of a Draconian New Cyber-Security Law|Suyin Haynes|February 12, 2021|Time

The virus was already moving quickly, jumping onto airplanes and popping up in Hong Kong and Thailand.
The next act for messenger RNA could be bigger than covid vaccines|David Rotman|February 5, 2021|MIT Technology Review
HONG KONG—Last year, I met a Chinese graduate student on a tour of the northeastern United States before his first day at Harvard.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think|Brendon Hong|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Memes that ridiculed political leaders and the Hong Kong Police Force shot through fiber optic cables at light speed.
China’s Internet Is Freer Than You Think|Brendon Hong|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The past two months have been a war of attrition between the Hong Kong government and pro-democracy protestors.
The Monuments Men of Occupy Hong Kong|Brendon Hong|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What convinced you to make the trip to Hong Kong to first meet Snowden?
Laura Poitras on Snowden's Unrevealed Secrets|Marlow Stern|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I stayed longer in Hong Kong than Glenn and Ewen, and was hoping to film Snowden one more time where he was hiding out.
Laura Poitras on Snowden's Unrevealed Secrets|Marlow Stern|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The foster-father, who was an American resident in Hong-Kong, found his eyesight gradually failing him.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
In China kong means king, and in modern England king is a slightly decayed form of the Teutonic konig or kinig.
Archaic England|Harold Bayley
The most important piece of intelligence from Hong-Kong is the continuation of the fearful mortality among the British troops.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II|Various
A few days were thus pleasantly spent; I then returned to duty at Hong-Kong.
Recollections of Thirty-nine Years in the Army|Charles Alexander Gordon
And the women with children strapped on their backs while they steer boats and handle passengers and traffic about Hong Kong!
Where Half The World Is Waking Up|Clarence Poe

British Dictionary definitions for Hong Kong

Hong Kong

/ (ˌhɒŋ ˈkɒŋ) /

noun

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)

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)

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

Cultural definitions for Hong Kong

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.

notes for Hong Kong

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.

notes for Hong Kong

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.