turned gamekeeper
- noun
- UK
:
cazador convertido en guardabosques
- After years in the shadows, the notorious poacher became a turned gamekeeper and worked to protect endangered species.
Examples
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His intimate knowledge of illegal hunting techniques made him a highly effective turned gamekeeper.
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He became a turned gamekeeper after years of poaching.
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The tale of the turned gamekeeper is often cited as an example of redemption and change.
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Many turned gamekeepers now protect endangered species.
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After many years as a poacher, he became a turned gamekeeper and now dedicates his life to conserving wildlife.
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His experiences in the forest as a poacher helped him become a skilled turned gamekeeper, protecting various animal species.
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The community respects her as a turned gamekeeper, as she uses her past knowledge to help preserve the local wildlife.
Synonyms
A person who used to break rules but now stops others from breaking them, for example protecting animals
How Lawful
Surface Forms
Morphology
The core meaning 'became a gamekeeper' is directly derivable from 'turned' (change into / became) plus 'gamekeeper' (person who manages wildlife), so a B1 learner who knows both words will comprehend the phrase. Any extra implication that the person was formerly a poacher comes from context (e.g., 'after years of poaching') and is not encoded in the constituent meanings, and the turned + noun construction is a common, compositional pattern.
Etymology
Turned gamekeeper comes from the idea of someone who has turned from being a 'poacher' into a gamekeeper. Picture a former illegal hunter now watching the land and animals and using that knowledge to protect them, so the phrase means 'a poacher who became a protector of wildlife'.