cinque Ports
Cinque Ports (siŋk)
[[sp. used in E from at least the 16th c.: < older sink pors < OFr cink porz, five ports < L quinque portus]]
group of towns (orig. five: Hastings, Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich) on the SE coast of England: they formerly (11th-15th cent.) received privileges in return for providing naval defense at a time when England had no navy