hong
Hong (noun) means a historical foreign trading company or firm in China. Example: “The old hongs of Canton controlled much of the tea trade with Europe.”
Word forms
hongs plural, Hongs plural
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The old _____ of Canton controlled much of the tea trade with Europe.
Etymology
From Cantonese hong4, meaning "trade" or "business".
Synonyms
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Rhymes for hong
See all rhymes for hong →Frequently asked questions
What does “hong” mean?
The word “hong” means a historical foreign trading company or firm in China.
How do you pronounce “hong”?
“Hong” is pronounced hong (/hɔŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “hong” in a sentence?
Here is “hong” used in a sentence: “The old hongs of Canton controlled much of the tea trade with Europe.”
What part of speech is “hong”?
Depending on how it is used, “hong” can be a noun and a name.
Where does the word “hong” come from?
The word “hong” comes from Cantonese. From Cantonese hong4, meaning "trade" or "business".
Is “hong” a common word?
“Hong” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “hong” have?
“Hong” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a historical foreign trading company or firm in China.
What was a hong in China?
A hong was a large trading firm or business house in China, especially the merchant companies that handled foreign trade at Canton, now Guangzhou, during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The word also referred to the rows of warehouses and offices these firms used. Several famous Hong Kong trading companies grew from this system.
Where does the word 'hong' come from?
It comes from Cantonese, from a word meaning a row, a business firm, or a trading house. It entered English through the China trade, when Western merchants dealt with the licensed Chinese hongs of Canton. The same root survives in company names and place names across Hong Kong and southern China today.
What were the hongs of Canton?
Under the old Canton System, foreign merchants were only permitted to trade through a small group of licensed Chinese firms known as the hongs, and the merchants who ran them were called Hong merchants. They handled all dealings with European traders, set prices, and were held responsible for the foreigners' conduct.
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