Hesse

American  

[hes-uh, hes] / ˈhɛs ə, hɛs /

noun

1. Hermann 1877–1962, German novelist and poet: Nobel Prize 1946.

2. German Hessen.  a state in central Germany. 8,150 sq. mi. (21,110 sq. km). Wiesbaden.

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Hesse ¹ British  

/ hɛs /

noun

1. German name: Hessen.  a state of central Germany, formed in 1945 from the former Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau and part of the former state of Hesse; part of West Germany until 1990. Capital: Wiesbaden. Pop: 6 089 000 (2003 est). Area: 21 111 sq km (8151 sq miles)

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Hesse ² British  

/ hɛs, ˈhɛsə /

noun

1. Hermann (ˈhɛrman). 1877–1962, German novelist, short-story writer, and poet. His novels include Der Steppenwolf (1927) and Das Glasperlenspiel (1943): Nobel prize for literature 1946

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Example Sentences

The company benefited from oil-price hedging included in electricity-supply contracts, Hesse says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 29, 2026

Police on Wednesday also searched buildings in Berlin and the western state of Hesse as part of investigations into two other groups, "Generation Islam" and "Realitaet Islam".

From Barron's • Nov. 5, 2025

This year, Ben Proudfoot’s “The Eyes of Ghana,” a portrait of African cinematographer Chris Hesse, will have its world premiere.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 4, 2025

They added that the arrests took place in the western German states of Hesse and North-Rhine-Westphalia.

From BBC • Apr. 22, 2024

It’s one of the things I remember most about that time: Cal, sitting on a rock, reading Hermann Hesse and learning about the Buddha.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides