Victoria Cross
1
6.6
- noun
- /vɪkˈtɔːrɪə krɒs/
- UK
:
Cruz Victoria
- I would have understood his action if, in addition to the D.S.O. And M.C., he had been awarded the V.C. Which stands, as you may know, for Victoria Cross and is awarded for valor.
- awarded the Victoria Cross
- earned the Victoria Cross
- won a Victoria Cross
Examples
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In the 100 years since the Victoria Cross was created for valour and extreme courage beyond that normally expected of a British soldier in face of the enemy, only 1,344 have been awarded.
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It was for that extraordinary bravery that he received the Victoria Cross.
Blog text (5) -
And this is Hook in his uniform here wearing his Victoria Cross and South Africa campaign medal.
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Can this be the man who won a Victoria Cross at Mafeking?
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If they hear about this in England, they'll give you the Victoria Cross.
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And then he got the Victoria Cross... ...because the Highlanders followed him up the hill!
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It was then I received the Victoria Cross... for bravery above and beyond the call of duty.
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I swam the 20-odd miles of Channel back to Dover, whereupon I was presented with my second Victoria Cross.
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After articling with a firm in Vancouver—with Cecil Merritt, who had won the Victoria Cross in the Dieppe raid—he decided to move there to start his career.
Blog text (19) -
During World War I, Officer Smith received the Victoria Cross for his bravery in leading his men under enemy fire.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The components 'Victoria' (a queen) and 'cross' (a cross-shaped object) give a partial clue that this is an item named after Queen Victoria and likely a cross-shaped object, but they do not directly convey that it is a specific, highest-level British military decoration awarded for gallantry. Understanding the exact institutional and cultural meaning requires prior cultural/encyclopedic knowledge rather than pure compositional inference, so the expression is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Victoria Cross was created by Queen Victoria after a big war in the 1850s as a simple cross to honour soldiers who showed great courage. One popular story says the medals were made from the bronze of captured enemy guns, and that strong image helps explain why the Victoria Cross is the highest award for 'bravery' in battle.