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Glite Dictionary
🏛️ A former province 🌊 A rocky headland
Cape of Good Hope

Cape of Good Hope

4.6
A rocky headland south of Cape Town on South Africa's Atlantic coast
  • proper noun
translation icon : Cabo de Buena Esperanza
  • The Cape of Good Hope was once a crucial stop for ships traveling between Europe and Asia.

Examples

  • On our trip to South Africa, we visited the Cape of Good Hope and admired the dramatic scenery.

  • Many explorers celebrated rounding the Cape of Good Hope as a major milestone on their journeys.

  • The Cape of Good Hope is a popular tourist destination.

  • Many sailors feared the waters around the Cape of Good Hope.

  • Sailors often reference the Cape of Good Hope as a challenging landmark during their journeys around Africa.

  • The Cape of Good Hope is known for its stunning scenery and rich maritime history.

  • Many tourists visit the Cape of Good Hope to admire the dramatic cliffs and beautiful ocean views.

Surface Forms

Cape of Good Hope main

Morphology

cape + of + Good + Hope

The core meaning — a promontory called 'Good Hope' — is directly derivable from 'cape' (a headland) combined with the name phrase 'of Good Hope'; a B1 learner who knows those words will understand it refers to a specific headland. While the precise geographic or historical details are not inferable, the basic referential meaning follows a common, compositional place-name pattern present across languages.

Etymology

Cape of Good Hope was named by early sailors who saw the rocky 'headland' as a sign of 'good hope' since rounding it meant a sea route to Asia might be found. That's why the cape became a famous 'milestone' for long voyages.