/ hens; NAmE / adverb
( formal ) for this reason :
We suspect they are trying to hide something, hence the need for an independent inquiry.
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IDIOMS
- ... days, weeks, etc. hence
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English hennes (originally meaning from here ): from earlier henne (from Old English heonan , of Germanic origin, related to he ) + -s (later respelled -ce to denote the unvoiced sound).