Etymology

Hans in kelder

Today it means: An unborn child. Full definition →

First used 17th–18th c.Dutch Hans
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The story

  1. Dutch · derived fromHans
  2. English todayHans in kelder

From Dutch Hans in kelder (“Hans in the cellar”).

First known use, by meaning

  • 17th–18th c. An unborn child.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.