Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Hessian
Hes′sian
,Adj.
Of or relating to Hesse, in Germany, or to the Hessians.
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 larvae 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.Hes′sian
,Noun.
1.
A native or inhabitant of Hesse.
2.
A mercenary or venal person.
[U. S.]
☞ This use is a relic of the patriot hatred of the Hessian mercenaries who served with the British troops in the Revolutionary War.