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Glite Dictionary
Gary Cooper

Gary Cooper

12 6.1
An American film actor who played quiet, strong heroes in classic Hollywood movies
  • proper noun
  • /ˈɡɛri ˈkuːpər/
: Gary Cooper
  • Gary Cooper is remembered for his iconic roles in classic films like 'High Noon' and 'Shane.'

Examples

  • Gary Cooper starred in many classic Westerns, often playing the rugged individualist.

  • Film historians often cite Gary Cooper as the quintessential American hero of early cinema.

  • Her favorite actor growing up was Gary Cooper because of his understated style.

  • Gary Cooper was a talented actor.

  • Many consider Gary Cooper one of the greatest actors of his time.

  • Many believe that Gary Cooper defined the archetype of the strong, silent hero in Hollywood.

  • Gary Cooper received two Academy Awards for Best Actor during his illustrious film career.

Surface Forms

Gary Cooper main

Morphology

Gary + Cooper

This is a proper name referring to a specific individual; the biographical meaning ('an American film actor') is encyclopedic and not compositionally built from the name parts. Knowing the constituents 'Gary' and 'Cooper' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent or profession, so the expression is non-compositional.

Etymology

Gary Cooper was an American movie actor who often played quiet, brave men in classic Western films. Because he looked calm and honest on screen, his name now stands for 'a strong, silent hero'.