First Battle of El Alamein

9.1

A major 1942 battle near El Alamein in Egypt where British forces stop German troops led by Rommel

proper noun

: Primera Batalla de El Alamein

Montgomery’s tactics at the First Battle of El Alamein led to a significant Allied victory over Rommel’s forces.

Examples

The First Battle of El Alamein halted the Axis advance into Egypt during the summer of 1942.
Historians often cite the First Battle of El Alamein as a turning point in the North African campaign.
The First Battle of El Alamein was a turning point in World War II.
Did the First Battle of El Alamein take place in 1942?
Historians often cite the First Battle of El Alamein as a turning point in the North African campaign.
Montgomery’s tactics at the First Battle of El Alamein led to a significant Allied victory over Rommel’s forces.
The First Battle of El Alamein halted the Axis advance into Egypt during the summer of 1942.

Synonyms

Al Alamayn

vsFirst Battle of El Alamein

9.8

A major 1942 World War II battle in North Africa where Allied forces under Montgomery defeat Rommel's German troops

focuses on British forces as the primary combatants rather than the wider Allied group

Surface Forms

First Battle of El Alamein main

Morphology

first + battle + of + El + Alamein

Knowing 'first' and 'battle' allows a learner to infer this refers to the initial battle that took place at the place named El Alamein, so the basic referential meaning is compositional. However, the specific historical details (WWII context, date, commanders, outcome) are not derivable from the constituents and the proper-name 'El Alamein' may be unknown, so full understanding requires world-knowledge or prior exposure.

Etymology

First Battle of El Alamein is named after the place El Alamein in Egypt, and First shows it was the first big fight there in 1942. In that battle British forces stopped the German army from moving into Egypt, so the name now refers to an important World War II 'turning point'.