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Meriwether Lewis

Meriwether Lewis

1 7.0
An American explorer and soldier who led the Lewis and Clark journey to map lands west of the Mississippi
  • proper noun
  • /ˈmɛrɪˌwɛðər ˈluːɪs/
translation icon : Meriwether Lewis
  • Meriwether Lewis and his partner William Clark documented over 300 new plant and animal species during their expedition.
  • Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Examples

  • In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson tasked Meriwether Lewis with exploring the newly acquired territory of the Louisiana Purchase.

  • Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer remembered for leading the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition.

  • Meriwether Lewis was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson to lead the Corps of Discovery.

  • Many places in the U.S. are named after Meriwether Lewis in honor of his contributions as an explorer.

  • The remarkable journey undertaken by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark helped map the western territories of the United States.

  • The famous explorer Meriwether Lewis led the expedition.

  • Meriwether Lewis was born in Virginia in 1774.

Synonyms

Lewis
vsMeriwether Lewis
996 7.2

An American explorer and soldier who led a journey to the Pacific Northwest

is the full personal name rather than the short form

Surface Forms

Morphology

Meriwether + Lewis

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical individual (the leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition), so its referent cannot be derived from the constituent words. 'Meriwether' is not a lexical item learners will know as a meaningful morpheme and 'Lewis' is just a surname, so knowing the parts does not allow a B1 learner to infer the MWE's biographical meaning.

Etymology

Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer who led the famous Lewis and Clark Expedition after the United States bought the Louisiana land. Picture him with a map and a small boat guiding a group down rivers and through forests. That image helps you remember he 'led' the journey to 'explore' and 'map' the West.