Babe Didrikson Zaharias

8.6

An American athlete who won Olympic gold medals and later became a top golfer and basketball player

proper noun
/beɪb ˈdɪdrɪksən zəˈhɛəriəs/

: Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Babe Didrikson Zaharias won two gold medals at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Examples

Many consider Babe Didrikson Zaharias to be one of the most versatile athletes of all time.
In addition to golf and basketball, Babe Didrikson Zaharias set world records in track and field.
Wow, Babe Didrikson Zaharias is truly inspiring!
Did you know Babe Didrikson Zaharias won multiple Olympic medals?
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was known for breaking numerous records in track and field during her athletic career.
In her lifetime, Babe Didrikson Zaharias won two gold medals in the 1932 Olympics.
Babe Didrikson Zaharias's contributions to women's sports have made her a revered figure in athletics.

Surface Forms

Babe Didrikson Zaharias main

Morphology

Babe + Didrikson + Zaharias

This is a proper name composed of personal names, so its referent (a celebrated athlete) cannot be derived from the literal constituents. Knowing the words 'Babe', 'Didrikson', and 'Zaharias' as tokens does not tell a B1 learner the biographical meaning or significance; proper names are arbitrary and language-specific, making the expression opaque.

Etymology

Babe Didrikson Zaharias got her name from the nickname Babe, which people gave her as a young athlete after comparing her to the famous baseball player 'Babe Ruth'. She was a top athlete in many sports, so the nickname helps us remember that she was one of the greatest all-around sports stars of her time.