Battle of Bunker Hill

1 4.7

An early battle of the American Revolution near Boston in which the British won but suffered heavy losses

proper noun
/ˈbætəl əv ˈbʌŋkər hɪl/

: Batalla de Bunker Hill

In 1825, 50 years after the Battle of Bunker Hill, the great Secretary of State Daniel Webster laid the cornerstone of the Bunker Hill Monument that stands today in Boston.

Examples

But he would never admit that George Washington had not spoken to him at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Fiction book (1994)
"I had accused him privately when he was last here of lying about the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Fiction book (1994)
"June 17th, 1775," he said suddenly and fiercely, and launched again into the tale of the Battle of Bunker Hill, told with all his old vigor.

Fiction book (1994)
It was during the Battle of Bunker Hill, as I was racing through Charlestown, dodging artillery bombardment and firing shots at impending redcoats, that I realized this was no longer the series of which I'd once been a fan.

Blog text (21)
The Historical Society is organizing a reenactment of the Battle of Bunker Hill this Saturday.
In the Battle of Bunker Hill, American forces showed great bravery despite facing a stronger British army.
The Battle of Bunker Hill took place on June 17, 1775, and was a pivotal moment in the American War of Independence.

Synonyms

Bunker Hill

vsBattle of Bunker Hill

6.7

A hill near Boston where British and American colonial soldiers fought in 1775

refers to the military engagement itself rather than the location

Surface Forms

Battle of Bunker Hill main

Morphology

battle + of + Bunker + hill

The phrase is compositional: 'battle' + 'of' + place-name 'Bunker Hill' straightforwardly yields 'a fight that took place at Bunker Hill.' A B1 learner who knows 'battle' and basic place vocabulary will infer this core meaning (though they may not know historical details like the date or outcome), and the 'battle of + place' pattern is cross-linguistically common and transparent.

Etymology

Battle of Bunker Hill comes from a real fight on a hill near Boston in 1775, where American colonists built simple earthworks and fought British troops. Although the British won, they suffered heavy losses, and that's why the battle is remembered as an 'important early battle' showing the colonists would keep fighting.