William Clark

1 5.3

An American explorer who, with Meriwether Lewis, leads a journey to the Pacific and maps the American West

proper noun
/ˈwɪljəm klɑrk/

: William Clark

William Clark and Lewis
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

Examples

William Clark kept detailed journals that have provided historians with invaluable information about the early American West.
Many schools and landmarks across the United States are named after William Clark in recognition of his contributions.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, co-led by William Clark, greatly expanded knowledge of North America's geography and peoples.
The famous explorer William Clark was born in 1770.
William Clark and Meriwether Lewis embarked on their journey in 1804.
The explorer William Clark, along with Meriwether Lewis, is famous for leading the expedition that mapped the American West.
In his detailed journal, William Clark documented the challenges and wonders encountered during their journey to the Pacific.
As co-captain of the Corps of Discovery, William Clark played a crucial role in exploring and mapping uncharted territories.

Surface Forms

William Clark main

Morphology

William + Clark

This is a proper name: knowing the words 'William' and 'Clark' only indicates a person's name, not the biographical information that he was an early US explorer who led the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The specific meaning (historical role, dates, expedition details) is not derivable from the constituents, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not understand the MWE's full meaning.

Etymology

William Clark belongs to an American 'explorer' who, with Meriwether Lewis, led a long trip from St. Louis to the Pacific and helped make detailed maps of the land. He kept careful journals about the land and the people they met, so his name is used for many places and schools today.