Hong Kong
Americannoun
noun
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a Special Administrative Region of China, in the south of the country, with some autonomy; formerly a British Crown Colony: consists of Hong Kong Island, leased by China to Britain from 1842 until 1997, Kowloon Peninsula, Stonecutters Island, the New Territories (mainland), leased by China in 1898 for a 99-year period, and over 230 small islands; important entrepôt trade and manufacturing centre, esp for textiles and other consumer goods; university (1912). It retains its own currency, the Hong Kong dollar. Administrative centre: Victoria. Pop: 7 182 724 (2013 est). Area: 1046 sq km (404 sq miles)
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an island in Hong Kong region, south of Kowloon Peninsula: contains the capital, Victoria. Pop: 1 337 800 (2001). Area: 75 sq km (29 sq miles)
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One of the world's leading commercial centers, Hong Kong is home to many international corporate offices and a world-famous tailoring industry. China has given assurances that it will maintain Hong Kong's capitalistic (see capitalism) and democratic (see democracy) institutions.
China ceded the island of Hong Kong to Britain in the nineteenth century. Hong Kong was returned to Chinese rule in 1997, when Britain's lease expired.
Other Word Forms
- Hong Konger noun
- Hongkongite noun
Etymology
Origin of Hong Kong
First recorded in 1840–45; possibly from Chinese (Guangdong dialect) Hēung Góng “Fragrant Harbor, Incense Harbor” (the two syllables do not rhyme in Guangdong dialect)
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Both sail under the Panamanian flag and are owned by companies registered in Hong Kong, according to the International Maritime Organisation's register.
From Barron's
Also expanding rapidly, Doha's Hamad airport reported 54 million passengers last year, comparable to Frankfurt and Hong Kong.
From Barron's
The results are MiniMax’s first since the generative AI company went public in Hong Kong in January.
Advanced economies such as Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, which import most of their energy and food, are especially vulnerable and would feel price swings immediately, said Stefan Angrick at Moody’s Analytics.
“Israel borders Egypt, and I grew up with so many stories about Cleopatra, and she’s like a household name,” she told the Hong Kong version of the fashion publication.
From MarketWatch
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
