Middle English Dictionary Entry

hissa interj.
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Entry Info

Forms hissa interj.
Etymology Cp. MDu. hissen v. The word appears to be a 'North Sea' nautical term which found a place in most of the languages of the North Sea litoral.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

Note: Cp. hising ger.; the gerund and the interjection (presumably an imperative 'hoist!') imply the existence of a verb *hisen which is, however, not attested in English till Caxton, 1490 [OED hoise v.].
1.
Naut. A cry used by sailors in pulling or hauling.
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