Al Capone
29
6.1
- proper noun
- /æl kəˈpoʊn/
- NSFW
- During Prohibition, Al Capone became one of America's most feared criminals.
Examples
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The infamous Al Capone was finally arrested for tax evasion instead of his violent crimes.
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Did Al Capone really control the Chicago underworld?
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Many books and movies have been inspired by the life of Al Capone.
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Many people remember Al Capone as a symbol of organized crime.
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During Prohibition, Al Capone became one of America's most feared criminals.
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Many books and movies have been inspired by the life of Al Capone.
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The infamous Al Capone was finally arrested for tax evasion instead of his violent crimes.
Synonyms
50
7.5
A famous American gangster who led crime in Chicago when alcohol was illegal
Surface Forms
Morphology
Al + Capone
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person, so its meaning (a notorious gangster who led organized crime in Chicago) is not compositionally derived from the parts. Knowing the constituents 'Al' and 'Capone' does not let a B1 learner infer the biographical or cultural information required; named entities are arbitrary and require separate world knowledge.
Etymology
Al Capone is the name of a famous American criminal who ran illegal alcohol and organized crime in 1920s Chicago, when alcohol was banned. People remember him as a powerful 'gangster' who used money and violence, and he was finally jailed for 'tax evasion' rather than his violent crimes.