Anglo-Saxon

[ ang-gloh-sak-suhn ]

noun

1. an English person of the period before the Norman Conquest.
2. Old English ( def 1 ).
3. the original Germanic element in the English language.
4. plain and simple English, especially language that is blunt, monosyllabic, and often rude or vulgar.
5. a person whose native language is English.
6. a person of English descent.
7. (in the U.S.) a person of colonial descent or British origin.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Anglo-Saxons.
2. of or relating to Anglo-Saxon.
3. English-speaking; British or American.
4. (of words, speech, or writing) blunt, monosyllabic, and often vulgar.

Anglo-Saxon

noun

1. a member of any of the West Germanic tribes (Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) that settled in Britain from the 5th century ad and were dominant until the Norman conquest
2. the language of these tribes See Old English
3. any White person whose native language is English and whose cultural affiliations are those common to Britain and the US
4. informal.
   plain blunt English, esp English containing taboo words

adjective

1. forming part of the Germanic element in Modern English

   ``forget'' is an Anglo-Saxon word

2. of or relating to the Anglo-Saxons or the Old English language
3. of or relating to the White Protestant culture of Britain, Australia, and the US
4. informal.
   (of English speech or writing) plain and blunt
5. of or relating to Britain and the US, esp their common legal, political, and commercial cultures, as compared to continental Europe

Word History and Origins

Origin of Anglo-Saxon¹

1605–15; based on New Latin, Medieval Latin Anglo-Saxōnēs, Anglī Saxōnēs (plural); from 10th cent., collective name for WGmc-speaking people of Britain (compare Old English Angulseaxan ); Angle, Saxon

Example Sentences

I should add that Jefferson greatly admired the medieval world before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 ended Anglo-Saxon rule.

From Salon

The six replacement forwards – an Anglo-Saxon answer to South Africa’s bomb squad – failed to detonate, falling foul of Gardner at scrums and breakdown.

From BBC

A "very unusual" gold pendant made by an early Anglo-Saxon in imitation of a Roman coin has been discovered by a detectorist.

From BBC

In his 1963 inaugural address, written by a known Ku Klux Klansman, Wallace promised to protect the state’s “Anglo-Saxon people” and ended with the line: “Segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.”

From New York Times

Conservatives around the world should unite behind an "Anglo-Saxon idea of freedom", he told an event in Canada.

From BBC