Hans, an ancient name for a society or company of merchants, particularly that of certain cities in Germany, hence called Hanse-towns. The word hanse is obsolete High Dutch or Teutonic, and signifies alliance, confederacy, association. But some derive it from the two German words am-see, that is, on the sea, because the first hanse towns were all situated on the sea-coast; and hence the society is said to have been originally called am see stenen, or cities on the sea, and afterwards, by abbreviation, hanse, and hanse.