Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
William Caxton

William Caxton

1 8.4
The first English printer who printed a book in English in 1474
  • proper noun
: William Caxton
  • William Caxton is known for printing the first book in English in 1474.

Examples

  • William Caxton is credited with bringing the printing press to England.

  • Many of Chaucer's works were first published by William Caxton.

  • William Caxton's contribution was crucial to the development of English literature.

  • William Caxton was a pioneer.

  • Don't forget William Caxton!

  • The influence of William Caxton on the English language is widely recognized.

  • William Caxton's printing techniques transformed the distribution of literature in England.

Surface Forms

William Caxton main

Morphology

William + Caxton

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; its meaning ('the first English printer…') depends on encyclopedic/world knowledge rather than composition of its parts. The constituents 'William' and 'Caxton' are personal names with no predictable semantic contribution, so a B1 learner who only knows the name parts would not infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

William Caxton was the man who brought the printing press to England around 1474. By printing the first books in English he made stories and spelling easier to share and fix, so he is remembered as 'the first English printer' and a key figure in English literature.