Battle of the Ardennes Bulge
- proper noun
:
Batalla de las Ardenas
- During the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge, Allied forces faced harsh winter conditions and fierce resistance.
Examples
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Many historians consider the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge a turning point in World War II.
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The museum displays several artifacts from the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge and tells the stories of those who fought there.
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The Battle of the Ardennes Bulge was a significant event in World War II.
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Did the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge change the course of the war?
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During the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge, Allied forces faced harsh winter conditions and fierce resistance.
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Many historians consider the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge a turning point in World War II.
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The museum displays several artifacts from the Battle of the Ardennes Bulge and tells the stories of those who fought there.
Synonyms
8
6.3
A major World War II battle in winter 1944–45 in the Ardennes where Germany surprised Allied forces
A German surprise attack in December 1944 against Allied forces in the Ardennes, also called the Battle of the Bulge
Surface Forms
Morphology
battle + of + the + Ardennes + bulge
The noun phrase is largely compositional: 'battle' + 'Ardennes' + 'bulge' signals a military engagement located in the bulge area of the Ardennes, so a learner who knows the constituent words will grasp it refers to a battle in that region. However, the precise historical sense (that it was a major WWII battle in December 1944, a German surprise counteroffensive) is not derivable from the parts, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Battle of the Ardennes Bulge is named for what shows on a map: a surprise German attack in December 1944 pushed into the Allies' line in the Ardennes forest and made a clear Bulge or bump in their front. Because of that map 'bulge', the name stuck and now refers to that major World War II battle.