Hoek van Holland
- proper noun
- We spent the afternoon walking along the beach at Hoek van Holland.
Examples
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Many ferries depart from Hoek van Holland to the United Kingdom every day.
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During World War II, Hoek van Holland was an important strategic location.
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Hoek van Holland is lovely.
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I visited Hoek van Holland last summer.
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Every year, tourists flock to Hoek van Holland to enjoy its beautiful beaches.
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The lighthouse at Hoek van Holland serves as a vital navigation point for ships entering the port of Rotterdam.
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As we drove along the coast, we marveled at the stunning views of Hoek van Holland.
Synonyms
A cape and town on the southwest coast of the Netherlands that has a ferry port
Surface Forms
Morphology
Hoek + van + Holland
This is a literal toponym composed of Dutch words meaning 'hook' (hoek) + 'of' (van) + 'Holland', so the sense 'Hook of Holland' (a coastal point/cape) is directly derivable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings would infer it names a geographic feature/part of Holland, and such place-name composition is cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Hoek van Holland got its name from the shape of the land: hoek means 'hook', and the sand and beach stick out into the sea like a hook. That's why it is still called the 'Hook of Holland' and is a piece of land by the sea and a ferry port today.