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Battles of Saratoga

Battles of Saratoga

7.2
Two major battles in 1777 during the American Revolution in which American forces defeat the British under General Burgoyne
  • proper noun
  • /ˈbætəlz əv səˈrɑːtəɡə/
translation icon : Batallas de Saratoga
  • Historians often cite the Battles of Saratoga as the turning point in the American Revolution.

Examples

  • The American victory at the Battles of Saratoga convinced France to support the revolutionaries.

  • The Battles of Saratoga were pivotal in the American Revolution.

  • Many students learn about the Battles of Saratoga in their history classes.

  • Did you know the Battles of Saratoga marked a turning point?

  • Historians often cite the Battles of Saratoga as the turning point in the American Revolution.

  • The American victory at the Battles of Saratoga convinced France to support the revolutionaries.

  • Many students learn about the Battles of Saratoga in their history classes.

Synonyms

Saratoga
vsBattles of Saratoga
10 7.7

A key 1777 battle in the American Revolution where British troops were defeated

refers to both related engagements in 1777 instead of a single fight
Battle of Saratoga
vsBattles of Saratoga
5.8

A 1777 American victory that is a turning point for the colonies in the Revolutionary War

refers to two separate major 1777 battles rather than just one

Surface Forms

Morphology

battle + of + Saratoga

The meaning is fully compositional: 'battles' + the preposition 'of' + the place name 'Saratoga' straightforwardly indicates military engagements associated with that location. A B1 learner who knows 'battle' and recognizes Saratoga as a place can infer this referential meaning; the construction (noun + of + place) is cross-linguistically common and thus transparent.

Etymology

Battles of Saratoga were two big fights in 1777 near the town of Saratoga in New York, where American troops surrounded and forced the British army to give up. Because this clear victory brought help from France, the name now stands for a major 'turning point' in the American Revolution.