YANKEE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Yankee mean? 

• YANKEE (noun)
  The noun YANKEE has 3 senses:

1. an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

2. an American who lives in New England

3. an American (especially to non-Americans)

  Familiarity information: YANKEE used as a noun is uncommon.

• YANKEE (adjective)
  The adjective YANKEE has 1 sense:

1. used by Southerners for an inhabitant of a northern state in the United States (especially a Union soldier)

  Familiarity information: YANKEE used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• YANKEE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Northerner; Yank; Yankee

Hypernyms ("Yankee" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

Domain region:

America; the States; U.S.; U.S.A.; United States; United States of America; US; USA (North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Yankee"):

Federal; Federal soldier; Union soldier (a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War)

Holonyms ("Yankee" is a member of...):

North (the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line)

Derivation:

Yankee (used by Southerners for an inhabitant of a northern state in the United States (especially a Union soldier))

Sense 2

Meaning:

An American who lives in New England

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

New Englander; Yankee

Hypernyms ("Yankee" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

Holonyms ("Yankee" is a member of...):

New England (a region of northeastern United States comprising Maine and New Hampshire and Vermont and Massachusetts and Rhode Island and Connecticut)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An American (especially to non-Americans)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Yank; Yankee; Yankee-Doodle

Hypernyms ("Yankee" is a kind of...):

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

• YANKEE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Used by Southerners for an inhabitant of a northern state in the United States (especially a Union soldier)

Similar:

northern (in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line)

Derivation:

Yankee (an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War))

 Context examples 

No wonder we found that poor Yankee's skeleton with the canes growin' between his ribs.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

What odd people these Yankees are.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Why, a Yankee crook would be into that with a can-opener.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Demi, like a true Yankee, was of an inquiring turn, wanting to know everything, and often getting much disturbed because he could not get satisfactory answers to his perpetual "What for?"

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"Yankees are a deal the most tricky, everybody knows. There you go!" returned Fred, croqueting her ball far away.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I've given 'em the latest Yankee shine.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

He was possessed with a mania for patronizing Yankee ingenuity, and seeing his friends fitly furnished forth.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The very cattle looked more tranquil than ours, as they stood knee-deep in clover, and the hens had a contented cluck, as if they never got nervous like Yankee biddies.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Yankees have a trick of being generous to their enemies, said Jo, with a look that made the lad redden, especially when they beat them, she added, as, leaving Kate's ball untouched, she won the game by a clever stroke.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)