Word
hong
Phoneticshong
US/ˈhɔŋ/
UK/hˈɒŋ/
Definition
n. a large business or trading house in China that dealt with foreign merchants in the past.
n. a commercial establishment or merchant house in China, particularly one of the licensed firms that held a monopoly on trade with Westerners in Canton.
Examples
“The old hong managed trade between the two ports for decades.”
“Many of the modern skyscrapers in the city center are still owned by the descendants of the original hong families.”
“The economic landscape of colonial Hong Kong was dominated by a few powerful hongs that controlled everything from shipping and insurance to the lucrative opium and tea trades.”
Examples
simple
“The old hong managed trade between the two ports for decades.”
contextual
“Many of the modern skyscrapers in the city center are still owned by the descendants of the original hong families.”
complex
“The economic landscape of colonial Hong Kong was dominated by a few powerful hongs that controlled everything from shipping and insurance to the lucrative opium and tea trades.”
Usage
Usually appears in historical texts discussing the 'Canton System' or 19th-century trade.
Teaching tip
This is a highly specialized historical term. Students are unlikely to encounter it outside of academic history or literature set in imperial China.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/hong