Harry Houdini
5
6.3
- proper noun
- /ˈhæri huˈdini/
- Harry Houdini was famous for his Harry Houdini escape tricks, captivating audiences around the world.
Examples
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The name Harry Houdini is still synonymous with daring magic and illusion.
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In 1912, Harry Houdini amazed audiences with his famous underwater box escape.
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Many people regard Harry Houdini as the greatest escape artist of all time.
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Many consider Harry Houdini the greatest magician of all time.
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Did Harry Houdini really escape from a water tank?
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The legacy of Harry Houdini continues to inspire magicians and performers today.
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In his performances, Harry Houdini would escape from handcuffs and locked boxes, leaving spectators in awe.
Synonyms
38
6.0
A famous American magician who escapes from handcuffs, chains, and locked boxes
Surface Forms
Morphology
Harry + Houdini
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the meaning (a famous magician and escape artist) is referential, not compositionally built from the parts 'Harry' and 'Houdini'. Knowing the constituent words does not let a B1 learner infer the biographical information, so the expression is idiomatic/lexicalized as a name and therefore not transparent.
Etymology
Harry Houdini was the stage name of a famous magician who made daring escapes from chains, handcuffs and locked boxes. He took the name Houdini from an older magician, Robert-Houdin, and because people saw him 'escape' again and again, his name now means someone who can 'escape' or 'disappear' from a difficult situation.