Word
alamo
Phoneticsalamo
/ˈæɫəmoʊ/
Definition
n. a place or situation where people fight very hard to defend themselves, even if they know they might lose. It comes from a famous historical battle in Texas where a small group refused to give up.
n. A situation or location representing a final, often desperate stand against overwhelming odds. Used metaphorically as a byword for a definitive struggle or a point of no return.
Examples
“The small company made its last alamo against the corporate takeover.”
“For the aging politician, this local election became a personal alamo to protect his family's legacy.”
“The defense attorney viewed the final appeal as a legal alamo, a desperate attempt to overturn a conviction that had seemed inevitable since the trial's inception.”
Examples
simple
“The small company made its last alamo against the corporate takeover.”
contextual
“For the aging politician, this local election became a personal alamo to protect his family's legacy.”
complex
“The defense attorney viewed the final appeal as a legal alamo, a desperate attempt to overturn a conviction that had seemed inevitable since the trial's inception.”
Usage
Often used in the phrase 'a last alamo' or 'one's alamo'; frequently capitalized when referring to the historical site in San Antonio.
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish álamo (“cottonwood tree”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/alamo