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Hong Kong

or Hong·kong

[ hong -kong ]
/ ˈhɒŋ ˈkɒŋ /

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).

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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, Hong Kong influenza, Hongshui He, Hongwu, Hong Xiu Quan
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for Hong Kong

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.
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.