Meanings
- historicalA confederation of historic coastal towns in Kent and Sussex, originally formed for military and trade purposes in the High Middle Ages, now largely ceremonial.
Origin
From Anglo-Norman; literally “Five Harbours”, from the five original members Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
Cinque Ports. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinque%20Ports
“Cinque Ports.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinque%20Ports. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Cinque Ports,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Cinque%20Ports.
Source: Cinque Ports on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.