Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

9.5

An event in 1775 when American forces took Fort Ticonderoga from the British

noun

: Captura de Fort Ticonderoga

Many historians believe the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga provided vital artillery for the Siege of Boston.

Examples

The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga marked a significant turning point in the early stages of the American Revolution.
History classes often highlight the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga as a key achievement for the Continental Army.
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga was a significant event in 1775.
Many historians consider the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga a turning point.
History classes often highlight the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga as a key achievement for the Continental Army.
Many historians believe the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga provided vital artillery for the Siege of Boston.
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga marked a significant turning point in the early stages of the American Revolution.

Surface Forms

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga singular

Captures of Fort Ticonderoga plural

Morphology

capture + of + fort + Ticonderoga

The phrase is directly compositional: 'capture' (the taking of) + 'of' + 'fort' (a fortified place) yields the meaning 'the taking of the fort called Ticonderoga'. Even if the proper name 'Ticonderoga' is unfamiliar, the syntactic pattern 'Capture of [place]' is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would infer the basic event meaning.

Etymology

Capture of Fort Ticonderoga refers to a famous 1775 event when American soldiers surprised and took the British fort at Ticonderoga, taking its guns and supplies. The word capture here means 'to take by force', so the image of men carrying away cannons helps explain why the action is called a capture.