a port city in northern Germany on the Elbe River that was founded by Charlemagne in the 9th century and is today the largest port in Germany; in 1241 it formed an alliance with Lubeck that became the basis for the Hanseatic League • Instance Hypernyms: city, metropolis, urban center, port • Member Holonyms: Hanseatic League • Part Holonyms: Germany, Federal Republic of Germany, Deutschland, FRG