Molly Pitcher

1 9.2

A woman who brought water to soldiers and helped fire a cannon at the Battle of Monmouth

proper noun
/ˈmɑːli ˈpɪtʃər/

: Molly Pitcher

During the Battle of Monmouth, Molly Pitcher bravely carried water to the soldiers.

Examples

The legend of Molly Pitcher highlights the important role women played in supporting troops during the American Revolution.
The legend of Molly Pitcher represents the bravery of women during the Revolutionary War.
American schoolchildren often learn about Molly Pitcher in their history classes.
Many believe Molly Pitcher was not a single person, but a nickname for several women who aided soldiers.
Did you know that Molly Pitcher was a real person?
During the Battle of Monmouth, Molly Pitcher bravely carried water to the soldiers to keep them hydrated.
American schoolchildren often learn about Molly Pitcher in their history classes as a symbol of women's contributions in the Revolutionary War.

Synonyms

Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley

vsMolly Pitcher

9.3

An American heroine who brought water to soldiers and helped fire a cannon during the Revolutionary War

is the shorter heroic label used without the full name or dates

Surface Forms

Molly Pitcher main

Morphology

Molly + Pitcher

Molly Pitcher is a historical proper name/nickname: knowing 'Molly' (a woman's name) and 'pitcher' (a container) does not allow a B1 learner to infer that it denotes a specific Revolutionary War heroine who brought water and assisted artillery. This is a culturally specific, eponymous reference requiring background knowledge rather than compositional semantics, so the expression is opaque.

Etymology

Molly Pitcher comes from one popular story of a woman who carried water in a pitcher to thirsty soldiers and even took the place of a gunner to help load the cannon during a battle. So, Molly Pitcher became a way to talk about a 'heroine' of the American Revolution or a nickname for several brave women who did this.