Saxon

[sak-suhn]

noun

1. a member of a Germanic people in ancient times dwelling near the mouth of the Elbe, a portion of whom invaded and occupied parts of Britain in the 5th and 6th centuries.

2. the Old English dialects of the regions settled by the Saxons.

3. a native or inhabitant of Saxony in modern Germany.

4. an English person; Britisher.

5. an Anglo-Saxon.

6. (not in scholarly use) the Old English language.

7. a member of the royal house of Germany that ruled from 919 to 1024.

adjective

1. of or relating to the early Saxons or their language.

2. of or relating to Saxony in modern Germany.

3. English.

Saxon

/ ˈsæksən /

noun

1. a member of a West Germanic people who in Roman times spread from Schleswig across NW Germany to the Rhine. Saxons raided and settled parts of S Britain in the fifth and sixth centuries _ad. In Germany they established a duchy and other dominions, which changed and shifted through the centuries, usually retaining the name Saxony

2. a native or inhabitant of Saxony

3. 1. the Low German dialect of Saxony

   2. any of the West Germanic dialects spoken by the ancient Saxons or their descendants

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the ancient Saxons, the Anglo-Saxons, or their descendants

2. of, relating to, or characteristic of Saxony, its inhabitants, or their Low German dialect

Other Word Forms

• non-Saxon noun
• pre-Saxon adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Saxon¹

1250–1300; Middle English, probably < Late Latin Saxō, Saxonēs (plural) < Germanic; replacing Old English Seaxan (plural)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Saxon¹

C13 (replacing Old English Seaxe ): via Old French from Late Latin Saxon-, Saxo, from Greek; of Germanic origin and perhaps related to the name of a knife used by the Saxons; compare _saw ¹

Example Sentences

The Bayeux Tapestry, which dates back to the 11th Century, charts a contested time in Anglo-French relations, as Anglo Saxon dominance was replaced by Norman rule.

From BBC

According to the research group Hope Not Hate, Operation Raise the Colours was co-founded by Andrew Currien, otherwise known as Andy Saxon, who has allegedly had links with the English Defence League and Britain First.

From BBC

Or maybe you’re like Saxon, compartmentalizing the whole thing, pretending it never happened.

From Los Angeles Times

The Bayeux Tapestry, which dates back to the 11th Century, charts a more contested time in Anglo-French relations, as Anglo Saxon dominance was replaced by Norman rule.

From BBC

As I wrote in my 2023 book, “The Long Field – Wales and the Presence of Absence, a Memoir,” the very name “Wales” is a Saxon word meaning “Home of the Foreigners.”

From Salon