King of Great Britain
1
4.2
- noun
:
Rey de Gran Bretaña
- In so doing, she assumed the guise of an "independent empress" and disavowed "all subjection or allegiance to the King of Great Britain."
Examples
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You are in the presence of George Augustus, Duke of Brunswick-uneburg, Archtreasurer and Prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire, King of Great Britain and Ireland, and of you.
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The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.
Academic text (1997) -
The King of Great Britain presides over the opening of Parliament each year.
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During his reign, the King of Great Britain made significant contributions to the arts and sciences.
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The laws passed by the King of Great Britain were met with resistance from the colonies.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A man who rules a country and usually gets the job from his family
41
5.1
A king or queen who rules a country and usually gets the job by birth
A man who rules a country as its king
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the male sovereign of Great Britain' is directly and compositionally derived from 'king' + 'of' + the place name 'Great Britain'; a B1 learner who knows the constituent words and the place will infer the referent. The 'of + place' genitive construction is a standard, cross-linguistic pattern rather than an idiom, so the phrase is transparently interpretable.
Etymology
King of Great Britain began when the rulers of England and Scotland became one person, so calling him King of Great Britain showed he 'ruled' the whole island rather than just one part. That's why the phrase means 'the male ruler' who reigns over Great Britain.