What does "hong" mean?

Hong: A mercantile establishment or factory for foreign trade in China, as formerly at Canton; a succession of offices connected by a common passage and used for business or storage. Hong merchant, one of the few Chinese merchants who, previous to the treaty of 1842, formed a guild which had the exclusive privilege of trading with foreigners.

Additional senses

  1. 2.To hang. [Obs.] Chaucer.

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