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Glite Dictionary
St. Thomas a Becket

St. Thomas a Becket

9.8
An Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed after opposing the king and later became a saint
  • proper noun
: Santo Tomás Becket
  • The murder of St. Thomas a Becket had a profound effect on the relationship between church and state in England.

Examples

  • Many pilgrims visited the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury Cathedral during the Middle Ages.

  • Did you know that St. Thomas a Becket was murdered in 1170?

  • Historians still debate the motivations behind King Henry II's conflict with St. Thomas a Becket.

  • Many pilgrims visit the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket in Canterbury.

  • Historians still debate the motivations behind King Henry II's conflict with St. Thomas a Becket.

  • The murder of St. Thomas a Becket had a profound effect on the relationship between church and state in England.

  • Many pilgrims visited the shrine of St. Thomas a Becket at Canterbury Cathedral during the Middle Ages.

Synonyms

Becket
vsSt. Thomas a Becket
1 9.0

An English church leader who became archbishop of Canterbury and was killed after opposing King Henry II

stresses his sainthood and martyrdom in addition to the opposition
Thomas Becket
vsSt. Thomas a Becket
  • Formal
1 7.8

A senior church leader in England who was killed after arguing with King Henry II about the Church's rights

adds the religious veneration and martyr status to that conflict focus
Thomas à Becket
vsSt. Thomas a Becket
9.9

A church leader in England who opposes the king and later becomes a saint

is the same historical and religious portrayal with identical focus
Saint Thomas à Becket
vsSt. Thomas a Becket
9.3

A senior church leader in Canterbury remembered as a saint for being killed defending the Church against the king

is the same story but presented with equal historical detail

Surface Forms

St. Thomas a Becket main

Morphology

St. + Thomas + a + Becket

This is a proper name: a B1 learner who knows 'St.' = saint and recognizes 'Thomas Becket' can infer it refers to a saintly person named Thomas Becket, so part of the meaning (that it is a saint's name) is transparent. However, the detailed historical/biographical sense (Archbishop of Canterbury, murdered after opposing the king, venerated as a martyr) is encyclopedic and cannot be derived from the constituent words, and the item 'a' is part of the proper name rather than a predictable article, so full meaning is not recoverable from the parts.

Etymology

St. Thomas a Becket was Thomas Becket, a 12th-century Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed in his cathedral after he stood up to King Henry II. People believed he had 'died for the church' and called him a 'saint', so many pilgrims visited his shrine and his name is still used today.