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Glite Dictionary
Mary Celeste

Mary Celeste

1 9.5
A cargo ship found abandoned in the Atlantic in 1872
  • proper noun
: Mary Celeste
  • Historians have long debated the fate of the crew of the Mary Celeste after the ship was discovered deserted.

Examples

  • What happened to the crew of the Mary Celeste?

  • Researchers are still fascinated by the unresolved fate of the crew of the Mary Celeste.

  • The legend of the Mary Celeste has inspired countless stories and theories.

  • The maritime museum featured an exhibit about the infamous Mary Celeste.

  • The Mary Celeste was discovered in 1872.

  • The Mary Celeste is infamous for the mystery of its abandoned crew, leaving many questions unanswered.

  • In 1872, the Mary Celeste was found drifting in the Atlantic Ocean without a soul on board.

Surface Forms

Mary Celeste main

Morphology

Mary + Celeste

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical ship; the constituent parts 'Mary' and 'Celeste' are personal names and give no cue to the meaning 'merchant ship found abandoned in 1872.' A B1 learner who knows the two names would not be able to derive the referent or its mysterious history without prior encyclopedic knowledge.

Etymology

Mary Celeste comes from a real trading ship found drifting in 1872 with no crew on board. The spooky picture of that empty, moving ship made the name mean a 'ghost ship' or anything where people disappear with no explanation.