Sir Francis Drake
1
5.7
- proper noun
- Sir Francis Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe in the late 16th century.
Examples
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Much can be learned about the routes that Sir Francis Drake took during his explorations, as well as about the man himself.
Blog text (25) -
Important historical figures such as Sir Francis Drake and Marco Polo are the motivation for much of the action: it's their treasure that we're setting out to find.
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During his time, Sir Francis Drake not only explored new territories but also played a crucial role in defeating the Spanish Armada.
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Many books detail the adventures of Sir Francis Drake, highlighting his contributions to naval history.
Synonyms
1
5.8
An English explorer and admiral famous for sailing around the world and helping defeat the Spanish Armada
Surface Forms
Morphology
Sir + Francis + Drake
This is a proper name for a specific historical individual; knowing 'Sir' (a title) and the given names 'Francis' and 'Drake' only signals a person with a title but does not allow a learner to infer his identity or historical role as a 16th‑century explorer and admiral. The referential, arbitrarily assigned biographical meaning is not derivable from the constituents, so it is opaque to learners.
Etymology
Sir Francis Drake is the name of a real English sea captain from the 1500s. He became famous for being the 'first Englishman to sail around the world' and for raiding Spanish treasure ships and helping defeat the Spanish Armada, so today his name stands for a bold explorer and naval leader.