Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Myles Standish

Myles Standish

1 9.5
An English soldier who helped the Pilgrims start and protect the Plymouth Colony
  • proper noun
: Myles Standish
  • Myles Standish served as an advisor and military leader to the Pilgrims in the 17th century.

Examples

  • Myles Standish played a crucial role in defending the Plymouth Colony.

  • Statues commemorating Myles Standish can be found in several towns in New England.

  • The story of Myles Standish is often included in American history textbooks.

  • Myles Standish was a brave leader.

  • Did Myles Standish lead the Pilgrims?

  • Many histories of the Plymouth Colony highlight the contributions of Myles Standish during its establishment.

  • The legacy of Myles Standish continues to be celebrated in American culture and education.

Synonyms

Miles Standish
vsMyles Standish
1 8.0

An English soldier who helped lead the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Colony

has identical meaning but uses the other common spelling

Surface Forms

Myles Standish main

Morphology

Myles + Standish

This item is a proper name rather than a compositional phrase; the parts 'Myles' and 'Standish' are non-lexical here and do not carry meanings that would allow a learner to infer 'English military officer and Plymouth Colony leader.' Proper names are arbitrary and language-specific, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent forms would not be able to derive the biographical meaning.

Etymology

Myles Standish is the name of an English soldier who sailed with the Pilgrims to Plymouth and helped set up and protect their settlement. Think of him 'standing' guard to remember why he is known as the Pilgrims' 'defender'.