ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shakespeare

n. countable
B1 Intermediate US //ˈʃeɪkˌspiɹ// shake·speare

n. the most famous English writer in history, known for his plays and poems. You often hear his name when people talk about great literature or theater.

n. the English playwright and poet (1564–1616) widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language. Often used metonymically to refer to his collective works or his distinctive literary style.


SIMPLE

We are studying a play by Shakespeare in our English class.

CONTEXTUAL

The local theater company is performing one of Shakespeare's comedies in the park this summer.

COMPLEX

Scholars continue to debate the extent to which Shakespeare collaborated with other contemporary dramatists on his later plays, such as The Two Noble Kinsmen.

Synonyms
Origin

A common Middle English surname meaning spearman, corresponding to shake (“to brandish a weapon”) + spear.

Usage

Usually treated as a proper noun; when used as a countable noun, it refers to a specific edition of his works or a person with similar talent.

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