Julius Erving

2 4.2

A famous American basketball player known as Dr J who helped change the game

proper noun
/ˈdʒuːliəs ˈɜrvɪŋ/

: Julius Erving

Julius Erving was known for his incredible dunks and high-flying style on the basketball court.

Examples

Many consider Julius Erving to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
Did you watch the documentary about Julius Erving?
As a role model both on and off the court, Julius Erving inspired countless young athletes.
Many consider Julius Erving one of the greatest players in basketball history.
Julius Erving was known for his incredible dunks and high-flying style on the basketball court.
As a role model both on and off the court, Julius Erving inspired countless young athletes.
Many consider Julius Erving one of the greatest players in basketball history.

Synonyms

Dr. J

vsJulius Erving

5 7.9

A famous American basketball player known for acrobatic moves and slam dunks

is the formal full name used in records and biographies

Surface Forms

Julius Erving main

Morphology

Julius + Erving

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; the identity and biographical information (famous basketball player, 'Dr. J') are not derivable from the constituent name-forms 'Julius' and 'Erving'. Proper nouns are arbitrary labels whose referents must be learned directly rather than composed from word meanings, so a B1 learner who only knows the parts would not infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Julius Erving is the name of a famous American basketball player often called 'Dr. J'. One clear image people use to remember him is his high, graceful dunks—he seemed to fly above the rim, so fans gave him the nickname 'Dr. J', and today his name stands for daring, game-changing play.