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Hessian

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Hes⋅sian

  [hesh-uhn]
Use Hessian in a Sentence
–adjective
1. of or pertaining to the state of Hesse or its inhabitants.
–noun
2. a native or inhabitant of Hesse.
3. a Hessian mercenary used by England during the American Revolution.
4. a hireling or ruffian.
5. (lowercase) burlap.
6. Also called Hessian andiron. (in the U.S.) an andiron having as an upright the figure of a Hessian soldier of the Revolutionary War.
Origin:
1670–80; Hesse, Germany + -ian
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Hes·sian   (hěsh'ən)   
adj.  Of or relating to Hesse or its inhabitants.
n.  

  1. A native or inhabitant of Hesse.

  2. A German mercenary in the British army in America during the Revolutionary War.

  3. A mercenary soldier.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

Hessian 
1677, from former Grand Duchy of Hesse, now a state in central Germany, its soldiers being hired out to fight for other countries, esp. the British during the American Revolution. Hessian fly (Cecidomyia destructor) was a destructive parasite the ravaged U.S. crops late 18c., so named in erroneous belief that it was carried into America by Hessian mercenaries.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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