Grigori Rasputin
1
9.9
- proper noun
- Many historians debate the true extent of Grigori Rasputin's influence over the Russian royal family.
Examples
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The mysterious death of Grigori Rasputin has inspired numerous books and films.
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Grigori Rasputin was often called the 'mad monk' by his contemporaries.
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Grigori Rasputin was a mystic.
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Don't forget Grigori Rasputin!
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Many historians debate the true extent of Grigori Rasputin's influence over the Russian royal family.
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Grigori Rasputin was often called the 'mad monk' by his contemporaries.
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The mysterious death of Grigori Rasputin has inspired numerous books and films.
Synonyms
11
8.5
A Russian holy man who advised the family of Tsar Nicholas II before Russian nobles killed him
1
9.9
A Russian holy man who claimed to have special powers, advised the last emperor's family and was killed by nobles
Surface Forms
Morphology
Grigori + Rasputin
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person, so its meaning is referential rather than compositional; knowing the literal constituents (a given name and a surname) does not let a learner derive the biographical sense. Even if the surname entry indicates 'mystic', the identity and historical associations of 'Grigori Rasputin' are encyclopedic knowledge rather than predictable from the parts, so it is not transparently inferable by a B1 learner.
Etymology
Grigori Rasputin was a real man from Siberia who called himself a 'holy man' and became a close adviser to Russia's royal family after seeming to help their sick son. People thought he had strange power and a secret hold over the rulers, so today his name is used for a mysterious person who has strong, secret 'influence' behind leaders.