Hessian

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hessian \Hes"sian\, a.
     Of or relating to Hesse, in Germany, or to the Hessians.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     {Hessian boots}, or {Hessians}, boot of a kind worn in
        England, in the early part of the nineteenth century,


        tasseled in front. --Thackeray.
  
     {Hessian cloth}, or {Hessians}, a coarse hempen cloth for
        sacking.
  
     {Hessian crucible}. See under {Crucible}.
  
     {Hessian fly} (Zool.), a small dipterous fly or midge
        ({Cecidomyia destructor}). Its larv[ae] live between the
        base of the lower leaves and the stalk of wheat, and are
        very destructive to young wheat; -- so called from the
        erroneous idea that it was brought into America by the
        Hessian troops, during the Revolution.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Hessian \Hes"sian\, n.
     1. A native or inhabitant of Hesse.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A mercenary or venal person. [U. S.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: This use is a relic of the patriot hatred of the
           Hessian mercenaries who served with the British troops
           in the Revolutionary War.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     3. pl. See {Hessian boots} and cloth, under {Hessian}, a.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  hessian
       n : (19th century) a man's high tasseled boot [syn: {Hessian
           boot}, {jackboot}, {Wellington}, {Wellington boot}]