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Glite Dictionary
🌊 A Pacific sea ⚔️ A WWII battle
Coral Sea

Coral Sea

7.3
The first naval battle in history fought only by planes from aircraft carriers between Japan and Allied forces
  • proper noun
translation icon : Batalla del Mar de Coral
  • The Battle of the Coral Sea was a significant naval engagement between Japanese and Allied forces in May 1942.

Examples

  • The Battle of the Coral Sea marked a turning point in the Pacific War.

  • The outcome of the Coral Sea battle helped prevent further Japanese expansion in the region.

  • Historians often analyze the strategies employed during the Coral Sea engagement.

  • The Coral Sea was the site of a significant naval battle in 1942.

  • Did you know that the Coral Sea was crucial in World War II?

  • During World War II, the Coral Sea witnessed the first naval battle entirely fought by aircraft from carriers.

  • In May 1942, the Coral Sea battle resulted in a decisive defeat for the Japanese forces.

Synonyms

Battle of the Coral Sea
vsCoral Sea
1 7.2

A sea battle in May 1942 fought only by planes from aircraft carriers that stops a Japanese advance

is identical in meaning but highlights it as history's first carrier aircraft battle

Surface Forms

Coral Sea main

Morphology

coral + sea

While 'coral' + 'sea' transparently denotes a body of water with corals, the provided MWE meaning refers to a specific historical event (the Battle of the Coral Sea). A B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not infer the naval-battle sense or its historical significance without prior exposure, so the expression is opaque in this usage.

Etymology

Coral Sea became the name of a famous 1942 fight because the battle took place in that same sea. Planes from ships fought each other while the ships did not meet, so people call it the first big battle fought mainly by aircraft and use the name for that 'battle'.