Ramon y Cajal
1
9.9
- proper noun
- The famous scientist Ramon y Cajal won the Nobel Prize in Physiology in 1906.
Examples
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Many consider Ramon y Cajal the father of modern neuroscience.
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The discoveries of Ramon y Cajal transformed our understanding of the brain.
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Numerous awards and institutions bear the name Ramon y Cajal in his honor.
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Did you know that Ramon y Cajal is considered the father of modern neuroscience?
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Many consider Ramon y Cajal the father of modern neuroscience.
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Numerous awards and institutions bear the name Ramon y Cajal in his honor.
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The discoveries of Ramon y Cajal transformed our understanding of the brain.
Synonyms
1
9.3
A scientist who studies the parts of the brain and nerves
A Spanish scientist who studied the brain and nerves and discovered how neurons work
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ramon + y + Cajal
This is a personal name (a Spanish proper noun) rather than a compositional phrase; knowing the parts 'Ramon', 'y' (and), and 'Cajal' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent is a Spanish histologist or Nobel laureate. Proper names are non-compositional for lexical meaning, so the specific biographical meaning cannot be derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Ramon y Cajal is the name of a Spanish scientist who studied the brain and nerves and made very clear drawings of nerve cells, like trees with branches. Because his work changed how people understood the brain, people now use Ramon y Cajal to mean the scientist himself or to 'honor' important work in brain study.