Cassius Clay
19
6.5
- proper noun
- /ˈkæʃəs kleɪ/
- When Cassius Clay meets Sonny Liston in the ring, that's not two athletes posturing.
- heavyweight champion Cassius Clay
- champion Cassius Clay
- the name of Cassius Clay
Examples
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Almost nobody had expected Cassius Clay to beat Sonny Liston.
Fiction book (1998) -
Cassius Clay stands at the ropes, shouting to reporters.
Fiction book (1998) -
In his own way, Cassius Clay was an important part of the civil rights movement.
Fiction book (1998) -
The new world heavyweight champion is Cassius Clay!
Fiction book (1998) -
Shortly after winning the heavyweight crown, Cassius Clay joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
Fiction book (1998) -
Narrator 1: A few days later, Sonny Liston signs to fight Cassius Clay for the heavyweight championship of the world.
Fiction book (1998) -
August 2, 1963: After a fight between Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson, Cassius Clay jumps into the ring.
Fiction book (1998) -
Cassius Clay, known for his incredible speed and agility, became a legend in the world of Cassius Clay.
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In 1964, Cassius Clay boldly proclaimed, "I am the greatest!" during a press conference.
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As Cassius Clay stepped into the ring, the crowd erupted in cheers for the heavyweight champion.
Synonyms
140
2.9
A famous American boxer who won the world heavyweight title three times
75
2.5
A famous American boxer who became world heavyweight champion three times and spoke for equal rights for Black people
Surface Forms
Morphology
Cassius + Clay
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the constituent words 'Cassius' (an unfamiliar given name) and 'clay' (a material or surname) does not allow a B1 learner to infer that it is Muhammad Ali's birth name. Recognizing this requires cultural/historical knowledge rather than compositional analysis, so the expression is not derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Cassius Clay was Muhammad Ali's 'birth name' and comes from an earlier American with the same name who fought against slavery. Ali later 'changed his name' when he joined Islam, so Cassius Clay usually refers to his original identity as a young boxer.