noun

Saxon

SAK-suhn

noun

A member of an ancient Germanic people who lived near the North Sea coast of what is now northern Germany, some of whom later settled in Britain.

"The Saxons arrived in Britain in the 5th century and gradually settled much of the east and south."

"Historians still debate how large the original Saxon migration actually was."

A native of Saxony, a region and modern state in eastern Germany.

"His grandmother was a Saxon who grew up near Dresden."

adj

Relating to the Saxons, their language, or Saxony.

"The museum has a fine collection of Saxon jewellery."

"Old English is sometimes called Anglo-Saxon."

How to Use Saxon

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishRefers to the Germanic people who helped found early England, or to people/things from the German region of Saxony.

Common mistake

"Anglo-Saxon" refers specifically to the early English people and language, while "Saxon" alone can also mean someone from modern Saxony in Germany — context decides which is meant.

Common pairings

Anglo-Saxon Saxon invaders Old Saxon

Word Forms

more Saxon comparative, Saxons plural, most Saxon superlative

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The _____ arrived in Britain in the 5th century and gradually settled much of the east and south.

Etymology

From Old English Seaxan, ultimately from a Germanic root meaning "knife" — the Saxons were named after the short single-edged blade, the seax, they were known for carrying.

Rhymes for Saxon

klaxon

See all rhymes for Saxon →