Green Goblin
3
7.4
- proper noun
- Did you see the Green Goblin in the latest comic?
Examples
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The Green Goblin first appeared in Marvel Comics as Spider-Man's formidable foe.
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For the superhero-themed party, he wore a detailed Green Goblin costume complete with a glider.
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In the latest movie, the Green Goblin unveils a new set of dangerous gadgets.
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The Green Goblin is one of Spider-Man's most iconic foes.
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In the comics, the Green Goblin is known for his devious schemes against Spider-Man.
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The Green Goblin, with his glider and pumpkin bombs, is one of Spider-Man's most iconic foes.
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Fans were excited to see the Green Goblin return in the latest Spider-Man film.
Synonyms
13
5.9
A bad person in stories with very strong powers who fights superheroes
1
8.0
The main enemy in a story who is very powerful and evil
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is compositionally clear — a learner who knows 'green' and 'goblin' will infer a goblin that is green — so the basic referent is interpretable from the parts. However, the item actually names a specific Marvel supervillain (cultural/encyclopedic knowledge) that cannot be predicted from the constituents alone, making it only partially transparent to learners.
Etymology
Green Goblin combines green and goblin to make a sharp picture in your mind: a goblin is a small, scary creature and the green color makes him look strange and eerie. That's why the name fits Spider-Man's dangerous 'enemy'.