modern-day Johnny Appleseed
- noun
- /ˈmɒdərn deɪ ˈdʒɒni ˈæplsiːd/
- US
:
Johnny Appleseed moderno
- The city's modern-day Johnny Appleseed has organized dozens of reforestation projects over the past decade.
Examples
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Local students praised their teacher as a modern-day Johnny Appleseed for starting a tree-planting initiative.
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After retiring, he became a modern-day Johnny Appleseed by planting orchards in every nearby town.
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She is a true modern-day Johnny Appleseed!
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Many consider him a modern-day Johnny Appleseed for his tree-planting efforts.
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The city's modern-day Johnny Appleseed has organized dozens of reforestation projects over the past decade.
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Local students praised their teacher as a modern-day Johnny Appleseed for starting a tree-planting initiative.
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After retiring, he became a modern-day Johnny Appleseed by planting orchards in every nearby town.
Synonyms
112
3.6
A person who works to protect nature and prevent pollution
22
5.5
A person who protects nature and animals from harm and pollution
9
8.2
A person who wants to protect trees and nature, sometimes used as an insult
4
6.5
A person who cares about protecting the environment or something that is green
1
6.7
A person who works to protect nature and reduce pollution
A person who plants trees or does kind things for others
A person who tries to stop people cutting down trees
A person who cares very much about protecting the environment and changes their life for it, sometimes too much
Antonyms
How Active
Surface Forms
Morphology
modern-day + johnnie + Appleseed
The modifier 'modern-day' transparently signals a contemporary version of someone, and the compound 'Appleseed' plus a personal name hints at someone who plants apples or seeds. However, the full idiomatic meaning relies on cultural knowledge of the U.S. folk figure Johnny Appleseed and the conventionalized association with widespread tree-planting/environmental promotion, which a B1 learner who only knows the literal words may not have. Because some meaning is recoverable from the parts but the specific referent and connotations require prior exposure, this is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Modern-day Johnny Appleseed comes from the real man John Chapman, called Johnny Appleseed, who walked across the country long ago and planted apple seeds for people. So calling someone a modern-day Johnny Appleseed means they 'plant trees' or encourage others to do so and help the environment today.