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Glite Dictionary
Horatio Hornblower

Horatio Hornblower

9.9
A fictional English navy officer who becomes an admiral during the Napoleonic Wars in novels by C. S. Forester
  • proper noun
translation icon : Horatio Hornblower
  • The novels about Horatio Hornblower vividly depict life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Examples

  • When reading about Horatio Hornblower, I was inspired by his moral dilemmas and resilience.

  • I have always admired Horatio Hornblower for his courage and leadership at sea.

  • Horatio Hornblower is a fascinating character!

  • Horatio Hornblower is legendary.

  • I have always admired Horatio Hornblower for his courage and leadership at sea.

  • The novels about Horatio Hornblower vividly depict life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

  • When reading about Horatio Hornblower, I was inspired by his moral dilemmas and resilience.

Synonyms

Captain Horatio Hornblower
vsHoratio Hornblower
  • Literature
9.3

A fictional English navy officer who becomes an admiral during the Napoleonic Wars

is the same character but described more generally as featured across the series

Surface Forms

Horatio Hornblower main

Morphology

Horatio + Hornblower

This is a personal name (proper noun) rather than a compositional phrase; the identity "a fictional English naval officer and admiral" cannot be derived from the name parts. Proper names are arbitrary labels (and the given constituents have no dictionary meanings here), so a B1 learner who knows the words would not be able to infer the character's role or biographical information.

Etymology

Horatio Hornblower is the name C. S. Forester gave to a fictional English sailor who rises from a young officer to admiral during the wars with Napoleon. Picture a horn blown on deck to call the crew and Hornblower standing in charge—that strong image helps you remember he is a 'brave' and clever naval leader.