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Glite Dictionary
hempen

hempen

8.1
A cloth or rope made from strong plant fibers
  • adjective
  • /ˈhɛmpən/
  • Archaic
translation icon : hempen
  • The sailing rope was made of hempen fibers, which are known for their strength and durability.

Examples

  • He wore a hempen shirt that was both comfortable and environmentally friendly.

  • Never let it be said that old Jim led you down Five Finger Alley, leading as likely to Tyburn and a hempen end.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • What hempen homespuns have we swaggering here so near the cradle of the fairy queen?

    A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

  • Thai mourners never wear the hempen mourning costumes of the Chinese that symbolically distinguish between different relatives of the deceased.

    Academic text (1992)

  • The artisan crafted a hempen basket, showcasing the natural texture of the material.

Synonyms

fibrous
vshempen
6 5.7

Made of many long thin threads like those in rope

refers to fibers from a specific rope making plant rather than any fibers

Idioms

to dance the hempen jig
  • Offensive
9.9

To be hanged by the neck until dead

Compounds

hempen jig
  • NSFW
9.9

A joking phrase for being hanged as punishment

hempen necktie
  • NSFW
9.9

A strong rope tied into a loop for hanging people

Surface Forms

hempen positive

Morphology

hempen = hemp (transparent) = hemp + en

The adjective is transparently formed from the noun 'hemp' with the productive adjectival suffix '-en' meaning 'made of' or 'resembling'.

Etymology

Hempen comes from the simple word hemp plus the ending -en, which means 'made of'. Think of a rough dress or a strong rope from the hemp plant, so hempen means 'made of hemp' or 'like hemp fibers'.