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Glite Dictionary
von Blücher

von Blücher

9.9
A Prussian general who helps defeat Napoleon at Waterloo
  • proper noun
  • /vɒn ˈbluːkər/
: von Blücher
  • The arrival of von Blücher and his troops was decisive at the Battle of Waterloo.

Examples

  • General von Blücher played a crucial role at the Battle of Waterloo.

  • The alliance between Wellington and von Blücher is famous in military history.

  • Historians often credit von Blücher with turning the tide against Napoleon.

  • Did von Blücher lead the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars?

  • Historians often credit von Blücher with turning the tide against Napoleon.

  • The arrival of von Blücher and his troops was decisive at the Battle of Waterloo.

  • The alliance between Wellington and von Blücher is famous in military history.

Surface Forms

von Blücher main

Morphology

von + Blücher

This is a proper name for a historical person; knowing the literal parts ('von' as a German nobiliary particle and 'Blücher' as a surname) does not allow a learner to infer that this refers to a Prussian general or his role at Waterloo. The expression requires specific world/historical knowledge rather than compositional understanding, so its meaning is not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Von Blücher was a Prussian general famous for bringing his troops to the Battle of Waterloo at a critical moment. Imagine his exhausted army arriving just in time to 'save the day', and that's why his name is remembered as the leader who helped defeat Napoleon.