Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - saxony

 or German Sachsen  geographical name  1. region & former duchy NW Germany S of Jutland Peninsula between the Elbe & the Rhine — see Lower ~  2. region & state of reunified Germany N of the Erzgebirge capital Dresden area 7081 square miles (18,340 square kilometers), population 4,764,300 — see Saxe SAXONY  noun  (plural -nies)  Usage: often capitalized  Etymology: Saxony, Germany  Date: 1842  1.  a. a fine soft woolen fabric  b. a fine closely twisted knitting yarn  2. a Wilton jacquard carpet