Yankee

American  

[yang-kee] / ˈjæŋ ki /

noun

• Yankees
  plural

1. a native or inhabitant of the United States.

2. a native or inhabitant of New England.

3. a native or inhabitant of a northern U.S. state, especially of one of the northeastern states that sided with the Union in the American Civil War.

4. a federal or northern soldier in the American Civil War.

5. a word used in communications to represent the letter Y.

6. Military. the NATO name for a class of streamlined, nuclear-powered Soviet submarines, with 16 multiple-warhead ballistic missiles: first produced for the Soviet Navy in the 1960s; in service with the Russian Navy 1992–95.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Yankee or Yankees.

   Yankee ingenuity.

Yankee British  

/ ˈjæŋkɪ /

noun

1. derogatory a native or inhabitant of the US; American

2. a native or inhabitant of New England

3. a native or inhabitant of the Northern US, esp a Northern soldier in the Civil War

4. communications a code word for the letter y

5. finance a bond issued in the US by a foreign borrower

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of Yankees

Yankee Cultural  

1. Originally a nickname for people from New England, now applied to anyone from the United States. Even before the American Revolutionary War, the term Yankee was used by the British to refer, derisively, to the American colonists. Since the Civil War, American southerners have called all northerners Yankees. Since World War I, the rest of the world has used the term to refer to all Americans.

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Discover More

The expression “Yankee, go home” reflects foreign resentment of American presence or involvement in other nations' affairs.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Yankees
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Yankee

An Americanism dating back to 1680–90 of uncertain origin; perhaps back formation from Dutch Jan Kees “John Cheese,” nickname (mistaken for plural) applied by the Dutch of colonial New York to English settlers in Connecticut

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Yankee Yankees

The single star was painted in berry juice, as was the bear, which looked so porcine that Mexicans who were struggling to protect California from Yankee rogues mocked it as more pig than bear.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Yankee Global Enterprises reached a $2.6 billion financing agreement with affiliates of Apollo Sports Capital.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The financing gives the Yankees access to capital as the franchise explores strategic opportunities, Hal Steinbrenner, chairman of Yankee Global Enterprises, said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

The incident came after the 1-0 pre-season win against Wrexham at Yankee Stadium in New York.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

“It’s over. De Bums are through. Back in Yankee territory, they got as much chance as a guppie swallowing a whale.”

From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord

That night in my room, I replayed the coy conversation with the Yankees fan, who wanted to meet up at the same bar the next night if I was up for another round.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026

Feliciano is — make that was — a longtime New York Yankees fan.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2026

Percentage of fastballs that Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler throws in posting an American League-best 2.19 ERA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

Like so many of his peers these days, New York Yankees ace Cam Schlittler throws ridiculously hard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

Her hair was tucked up'in her Yankees cap, which was strange because that should have made her invisible.

From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan