Jackie Robinson
- noun
- /ˈdʒæki ˈrɒbɪnsən/
- Informal
- His groundbreaking achievements have made him the Jackie Robinson of environmental advocacy.
Examples
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Now, if we make you an officer, you will, in effect, be the Jackie Robinson of the Colorado Springs Police Force.
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Unlike Jackie Robinson, Obama did not break through a barrier.
Blog text (7) -
Many consider Emma to be the Jackie Robinson of women's rights, fighting for equality in a male-dominated industry.
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As the Jackie Robinson of technology, she inspired countless women to pursue careers in engineering.
Synonyms
9
4.1
An American tennis player who won many major titles and fought for equal rights for women in sports
How Pioneering
Surface Forms
Morphology
Jackie + Robinson
This is an eponymic, culturally-specific metaphor: the meaning 'a person who breaks a long-standing barrier' rests on knowledge of Jackie Robinson's historical role in breaking baseball's racial color line. The literal constituents are merely a personal name and give no semantic cue, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not be able to infer the figurative meaning without prior cultural exposure.
Etymology
Jackie Robinson as a term comes from the real player who 'broke the color barrier' by entering the major leagues and opening doors for other Black players. That's why calling someone a Jackie Robinson means they are a 'barrier-breaker' who helps others enter a field.