Definition

Proper noun 1. A significant early battle in the American Revolutionary War: "Bunker Hill" refers to the first major military engagement of the American War of Independence, fought on June 17, 1775. Although the battle took place primarily on the adjacent Breed's Hill, it is historically known by this name. The British forces ultimately captured the position from the colonial defenders.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • The Battle of Bunker Hill demonstrated that colonial forces could stand against the British army.
  • Despite the defeat, the heavy casualties inflicted on the British at Bunker Hill provided a moral victory for the American colonists.
  • Many historical accounts of Bunker Hill note the famous order, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes."

Advanced Usage

• "A Bunker Hill moment": Used metaphorically to describe a situation where a group makes a principled but costly stand against a more powerful opponent, often gaining symbolic victory from a tactical defeat.
  • The small company's lawsuit against the giant corporation was their Bunker Hill moment.

Variants and Related Words

• Breed's Hill (proper noun): The specific hill in Charlestown, Boston, where most of the fighting in the Battle of Bunker Hill actually occurred.
• The Battle of Bunker Hill (noun phrase): The full, formal name for the historical event.

Synonyms

• The first major battle of the American Revolution (noun phrase): A descriptive synonym.
• The Battle of Breed's Hill (noun phrase): A less common, more geographically precise name for the same event.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes": A famous command attributed to colonial officers at the Battle of Bunker Hill, instructing troops to conserve ammunition and fire at close range for maximum effect. It is now used as an idiom advising patience and precise timing.
  • We have to be patient with our investment strategy. Remember the lesson from Bunker Hill: don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.

Noun

1. the first important battle of the American War of Independence (1775) which was fought at Breed's Hill; the British defeated the colonial forces