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Glite Dictionary
legend of Johnny Appleseed

legend of Johnny Appleseed

6.6
An old story about Johnny Appleseed, a man who planted apple trees across parts of the United States
  • noun
  • /ˈlɛdʒənd əv ˈdʒɑni ˈæplˌsiːd/
  • Literature
translation icon : leyenda de Johnny Appleseed
  • The legend of Johnny Appleseed has been told to children for generations in the United States.

Examples

  • The legend of Johnny Appleseed is well-known in American folklore.

  • Every year, the town holds a festival celebrating the legend of Johnny Appleseed.

  • The legend of Johnny Appleseed reminds us of the importance of nature and generosity.

  • Have you heard the legend of Johnny Appleseed?

  • Every year, the town holds a festival celebrating the legend of Johnny Appleseed.

  • The legend of Johnny Appleseed has been told to children for generations in the United States.

  • The legend of Johnny Appleseed reminds us of the importance of nature and generosity.

Synonyms

legend
vslegend of Johnny Appleseed
  • Literature
439 3.9

An old story about the past that may include magic or gods

is a specific famous tale about a tree planter celebrated for spreading apple trees

Surface Forms

legend of Johnny Appleseed singular
legends of Johnny Appleseed plural

Morphology

legend + of + johnnie + Appleseed

The phrase is fully compositional: 'legend' (traditional story) combined with 'of' plus a proper name yields 'a traditional story about that person.' The noun + of + name pattern is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Legend of Johnny Appleseed comes from stories about a real man, John Chapman, who walked across the United States scattering apple seeds and leaving apple trees behind. One popular story says he was kind to people and to nature, so today the phrase brings to mind 'planting' and 'generosity'.