hessian

H4E1S1S1I1A1N1
UK/ˈhɛsiən/US/ˈhɛʃən/

noun

A strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks.

“Hessian line; Hessian point; Hessian matrix”

Similar
burlapHessian bootjackbootWellingtonWellington boot
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

hessian1

nounhessian (countable and uncountable, plural hessians)

plural hessians

  1. UKcountableuncountableA strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks.

    Synonyms: burlap

Hessian2

adjectiveHessian (comparative more Hessian, superlative most Hessian)

comparative more Hessian · superlative most Hessian · alternative Hessean

  1. Of, from or relating to the state of Hesse, Germany.
  2. Of or relating to the German mathematician Otto Hesse (1811–1874).

    Hessian line; Hessian point; Hessian matrix

nounHessian (countable and uncountable, plural Hessians)

plural Hessians · alternative Hessean

  1. countableuncountableA native or inhabitant of the state of Hesse, Germany.
  2. countablehistoricaluncountableA mercenary soldier, especially a German one who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War.
  3. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountablefashionEllipsis of Hessian boot.
  4. UKabbreviationcountableellipsisuncountableEllipsis of Hessian cloth or Hessian fabric (“burlap, jute”).
  5. abbreviationcountableellipsisuncountablemathematicsEllipsis of Hessian matrix.
proper noun

alternative Hessean

  1. The Rhine Franconian dialect spoken in Hesse.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks.

Similar
burlap

More synonyms by meaning

noun(19th century) a man's high tasseled boot

Similar
Hessian bootjackbootWellingtonWellington boot
Broader
boot
Also see
burlapfeedsackfloursackhessemanhessian bootjackbootwellingtonwellington boot

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

hessian · noun

See Hessian. Attributed to the historic use of the fabric as part of the uniform of soldiers from the former Landgraviate of Hesse and its successors, who were called Hessians.

Full word history & related roots →

Hessian · adjective, noun, proper noun

From Hesse + -ian. Doublet of hessian.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan hessià
  • hessiàpertaining to Hesse
Czech hesenský, Hesenec
  • hesenskýpertaining to Hesse
  • Hesenecnative or inhabitant of Hesse
Finnish hesseniläinen, hesseniläinen
  • hesseniläinenpertaining to Hesse
  • hesseniläinennative or inhabitant of Hesse
French hessois, Hessois
  • hessoispertaining to Hesse
  • Hessoisnative or inhabitant of Hesse
German hessisch, Hesse
  • hessischpertaining to Hesse
  • Hessenative or inhabitant of Hesse
  • HessischTranslations
Irish Heiseánach
  • Heiseánachpertaining to Hesse
Italian assiano, assiano
  • assianopertaining to Hesse
  • assianonative or inhabitant of Hesse
Polish heski, Hesyjczyk
  • heskipertaining to Hesse
  • Hesyjczyknative or inhabitant of Hesse
  • Hesyjkanative or inhabitant of Hesse
  • dialekt heskiTranslations
Portuguese hessiano, hessiano
  • hessianopertaining to Hesse
  • hessianonative or inhabitant of Hesse
Spanish hessiano, hessiano
  • hessianopertaining to Hesse
  • hessianonative or inhabitant of Hesse

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with hessian

sessionexpressiondepressioncompressionprofessionpossessionimpressionobsessionconfessionoppressionrecessionpressionfreshencessionangioregressionangle of depressionneshenprepossessionshecessionTrumpcessionTrumpressionUSian
All rhymes →

Anagrams

saneish
Cite this entry
APA

hessian. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hessian

MLA

“hessian.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hessian. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hessian,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hessian.

Source: hessian on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.