Second Battle of Ypres

9.9

A 1915 World War I battle near Ypres where German forces used chlorine gas and took ground from the Allies

noun

: Segunda Batalla de Ypres

The Second Battle of Ypres marked the first large-scale use of chemical weapons in warfare.

Examples

The Second Battle of Ypres was a turning point in the use of modern weaponry on the Western Front.
Many soldiers suffered severe injuries during the Second Battle of Ypres due to chlorine gas attacks.
The Second Battle of Ypres marked a significant change in warfare.
Many soldiers suffered during the Second Battle of Ypres.
The Second Battle of Ypres marked the first significant use of chemical weapons in modern warfare.
During the Second Battle of Ypres, German troops gained crucial ground against the Allies.
Historians often study the Second Battle of Ypres to understand the horrors of World War I trench warfare.

Synonyms

Battle of Ypres

vsSecond Battle of Ypres

1 7.8

A World War I battle near Ypres where Germans first used poison gas on a large scale

is a specific 1915 battle where Germans first used chlorine gas and gained territory

Surface Forms

Second Battle of Ypres singular

Morphology

2nd + battle + of + Ypres

The headword plainly combines 'second' (ordinal) + 'battle' (military engagement) + the place name 'Ypres', so a learner who knows these constituents will infer it refers to the second military engagement at Ypres. While specific historical details (date, use of chlorine gas) are not predictable from the parts, the core referential meaning is fully compositional and cross-linguistically regular.

Etymology

Second Battle of Ypres simply says it was the second big fight near the town of Ypres, with Second meaning 'number', Battle meaning 'fight', and Ypres the place. It is remembered because German troops first used chlorine gas there in 1915, so the name now brings to mind that deadly new weapon.