Yankees
|yank-ees|
🇺🇸
/ˈjæŋkɪz/
🇬🇧
/ˈjæŋkiːz/
(Yankee)
American, especially from the North
Etymology
'Yankee' most likely originates from Dutch, specifically the word 'Janke', a diminutive of 'Jan' (John), where 'Jan' meant 'John' and '-ke' was a diminutive suffix meaning 'little' (so 'little Jan').
'Janke' (Dutch) was used by early colonists and Anglicized into 'Yankee' in colonial America; over time the word shifted from a local nickname to a general term 'Yankee' and its plural 'Yankees'.
Initially, it likely meant 'little Jan' (a nickname for Dutch settlers); over time it evolved to mean 'a person from New England or the northern US' and later broadened to refer to Americans in general; it was also adopted as the name of the baseball team 'Yankees'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'Yankee'. Informal: a person from the northern United States, especially New England; historically used by Southerners to refer to Union soldiers during the American Civil War.
During the Civil War, Southerners often called Union soldiers 'Yankees'.
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Noun 2
the New York Yankees, a professional Major League Baseball team based in New York City (often referred to simply as 'the Yankees').
The Yankees won the World Series in 2009.
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Noun 3
informal: people from the United States (used especially by foreigners or in historical contexts).
Some Europeans casually call all Americans 'Yankees'.
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Last updated: 2026/01/12 04:50