Saxon

[ sak-suhn ]

/ ˈsæk sən /

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noun

a member of a Germanic people in ancient times dwelling near the mouth of the Elbe, a portion of whom invaded and occupied parts of Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries.

the Old English dialects of the regions settled by the Saxons.

a native or inhabitant of Saxony in modern Germany.

an English person; Britisher.

an Anglo-Saxon.

(not in scholarly use) the Old English language.

a member of the royal house of Germany that ruled from 919 to 1024.

adjective

of or relating to the early Saxons or their language.

of or relating to Saxony in modern Germany.

English (defs. 1, 2).

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Origin of Saxon

1250–1300; Middle English, probably <Late Latin Saxō, Saxonēs (plural) <Germanic; replacing Old English Seaxan (plural)

OTHER WORDS FROM Saxon

non-Saxon, noun, adjectivepre-Saxon, adjective, noun

Words nearby Saxon

saxifragaceous, saxifrage, saxifrage family, saxitoxin, Saxo Grammaticus, Saxon, Saxon blue, Saxonism, saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, saxophone

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

How to use Saxon in a sentence

The most effective weapon Anglo-Saxon elites have used to preserve power in American society has been the rule of law.
Ellis Island’s Doubled-Edged Legacy|J.P. O’Malley|May 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to an account in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, written in the 9th century, that failed Viking raid was hardly a one-off.
Every Viking ‘Fact’ Is Wrong|Nico Hines|March 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
When Viking invaders tore through 9th-century Europe, only one Anglo-Saxon leader was able to withstand their ferocious onslaught.
Scientists Find Remains of Alfred The Great Or King Edward The Elder|Nico Hines|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to neighbor David Taubin, Sanderlin and her two daughters have been living at 193 Saxon Woods Road for about a year.
‘Weeds’ Come to Life? Scarsdale Mom Arrested in Massive Pot Bust|Winston Ross, Eliza Shapiro|June 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST

New Saxon calls itself a “social networking site for people of European descent”; others have called it Facebook for neo-Nazis.
Sikh Temple Shooting Returns Attention To Military’s White Power Problem|Jesse Ellison|August 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He was deeply versed in Saxon literature and published a work on the antiquity of the English church.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
I fear she was often shocked at our easy Saxon ways, though Tom and I thought ourselves models of thrift.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
In early days this highway, leading from one of the main seaports through the ancient Saxon capital, was of great importance.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
There are two or three ancient churches dating from Saxon times which exhibit some remarkable specimens of Saxon architecture.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy
Wantage is a quiet town, lying at the foot of the hills, and is chiefly noted as the birthplace of the great Saxon king.
British Highways And Byways From A Motor Car|Thomas D. Murphy

British Dictionary definitions for Saxon

Saxon

/ (ˈsæksən) /

noun

a member of a West Germanic people who in Roman times spread from Schleswig across NW Germany to the Rhine. Saxons raided and settled parts of S Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries ad. In Germany they established a duchy and other dominions, which changed and shifted through the centuries, usually retaining the name Saxony

a native or inhabitant of Saxony

the Low German dialect of Saxony
any of the West Germanic dialects spoken by the ancient Saxons or their descendants

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient Saxons, the Anglo-Saxons, or their descendants

of, relating to, or characteristic of Saxony, its inhabitants, or their Low German dialect

Word Origin for Saxon

C13 (replacing Old English Seaxe): via Old French from Late Latin Saxon-, Saxo, from Greek; of Germanic origin and perhaps related to the name of a knife used by the Saxons; compare saw 1

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