Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Roy Orbison

Roy Orbison

7 5.5
An American singer and songwriter with a strong, emotional voice
  • proper noun
  • /rɔɪ ˈɔrbɪsən/
: Roy Orbison
  • Few singers could match the distinctive tenor voice of Roy Orbison in the 1960s.

Examples

  • The haunting melodies of Roy Orbison continue to influence new generations of artists.

  • Many classic rock fans are devoted admirers of Roy Orbison and his music.

  • I love listening to Roy Orbison songs.

  • Have you ever heard Roy Orbison sing live?

  • Few singers could match the distinctive tenor voice of Roy Orbison in the 1960s.

  • Many classic rock fans are devoted admirers of Roy Orbison and his music.

  • The haunting melodies of Roy Orbison continue to influence new generations of artists.

Surface Forms

Roy Orbison main

Morphology

Roy + Orbison

This is a proper name: knowing the constituent tokens 'Roy' and 'Orbison' only signals a personal name, not the specific biographical meaning (famous American singer-songwriter). The identity and profession are arbitrary lexicalized information that cannot be derived from the parts, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Roy Orbison was an American singer with a very high, powerful voice and a quiet stage look, often wearing dark sunglasses. People remember the strong, sad sound and the sunglasses together, so his name now brings to mind 'a powerful, emotional singer'.