Grand National
1
4.3
- proper noun
:
Grand National
- In April, thousands gather at Aintree for the thrilling spectacle of the Grand National.
- win the Grand National
- Grand National race
Examples
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Please give a rapturous welcome to the horse born on an allotment and now the Welsh Grand National champion, Dream Alliance!
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Well, let's see, Sheikh Omari just shelled out 16 million for French Over, winner of the Welsh Grand National.
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But not at The Welsh Grand National.
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The flag drops and we're off on this Welsh Grand National!
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You remember the last Grand National at Aintree?
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This year's runners and riders in the Welsh Grand National.
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Welcome, everyone, to Chepstow to the greatest day in the Welsh race calendar, the day of the Welsh Grand National!
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A fairy-tale return from injury to conquer this Welsh Grand National!
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The Grand National is renowned for attracting a large audience each year.
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Winning the Grand National is often regarded as the pinnacle of success in horse racing.
Synonyms
68
3.9
An important contest between rival teams or horses
23
1.6
An event where people ride or drive horses to see which is fastest
2
8.4
A race for horses in which they jump fences and a water obstacle
Surface Forms
Morphology
The words 'grand' and 'national' transparently signal a large or important national event, so a learner could infer it is some kind of major national occasion. However, the specific referent—an annual steeplechase horse race in Liverpool—is a culturally specific proper name that cannot be derived from the constituents alone, so the exact meaning remains unpredictable without prior exposure.
Etymology
Grand National gets its name from the words Grand and National, meaning a very 'grand' or big race for the whole 'nation'. Because horses from all over the country race over large fences, the name now refers to this famous country-wide horse race.