verdun
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Proper noun A major battle of World War I, fought in 1916. It was one of the longest and bloodiest engagements of the war, where a German offensive against French forces was ultimately halted.
Usage
"Verdun" is used as a proper noun to refer specifically to this historical battle and its location. It is often cited as a symbol of the war's attrition and immense human cost. * The Battle of Verdun became a defining moment for the French army. * Historians study the tactics used at Verdun.
Advanced Usage
- "the Verdun of [something]": Used metaphorically to describe any prolonged, bloody, and stalemated conflict or struggle.
- The prolonged legal case became the Verdun of the corporate world, exhausting both sides.
Variants and Related Words
- Verdun-like (adjective): Resembling the characteristics of the Battle of Verdun, particularly in terms of being a protracted and costly stalemate.
- The conflict settled into a Verdun-like stalemate.
Synonyms
- Attrition (in a military context): A prolonged war or period of conflict during which each side seeks to gradually wear down the other by inflicting continuous losses.
- Siege (though Verdun was not a classic siege, it shared characteristics of a protracted assault on fortified positions).
Related Phrases
- "They shall not pass" ("Ils ne passeront pas"): The famous order and rallying cry associated with the French defense at Verdun.
- The general's speech echoed the defiant spirit of "They shall not pass."
Noun
- a battle in World War I (1916); in some of the bloodiest fighting in World War I the German offensive was stopped