ENGLISH
REFERENCE

dresden

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈdɹɛzdɪn// dres·den

n. a major city in eastern Germany known for its beautiful old buildings and art. It is famous for being rebuilt after it was destroyed in World War II.

n. the capital city of the German state of Saxony, situated on the Elbe River. Historically significant for its Baroque architecture and its near-total destruction by Allied bombing in 1945.


SIMPLE

We spent the weekend exploring the museums in Dresden.

CONTEXTUAL

The reconstruction of the Frauenkirche in Dresden serves as a powerful symbol of the city's post-war recovery.

COMPLEX

Often referred to as the Florence of the Elbe, Dresden houses vast art collections that survived the firebombing of the second world war through careful storage in rural mines.

Origin

Borrowed from German Dresden (“Dresden”) in the 1730s, from Middle High German Dresden, from a Sorbian source akin to Lower Sorbian Drježdźany, ultimately from Proto-Slavic dręzga, of which the locative case is dręzdzě.

Usage

As a proper noun, it is typically used without an article.

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