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Boer War

American  

noun

  1. a war in which Great Britain fought against the Transvaal and Orange Free State, 1899–1902.

  2. a war between Great Britain and the Transvaal, 1880–81.


Boer War British  

noun

  1. Also called: Anglo-Boer War.   South African War.  either of two conflicts between Britain and the South African Boers, the first (1880–1881) when the Boers sought to regain the independence given up for British aid against the Zulus, the second (1899–1902) when the Orange Free State and Transvaal declared war on Britain

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Boer War Cultural  
  1. A war between British and Dutch settlers (Boers) in what is now South Africa, fought from 1899 to 1902 and won by the British. The country was united in 1910.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

In 1904, at 23, she married David Freeman-Mitford, a Boer War veteran who soon, unexpectedly, became Baron Redesdale after the deaths of his elder brother and father.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 31, 2026

In 1877, following Britain’s announcement that it was annexing the Transvaal Republic, fighting broke out between British and Boer forces in the First Boer War.

From Textbooks Dec. 14, 2022

He also works at another medical practice a few streets away from the Edward VII - a private hospital in Mayfair, used by the royals, which originally treated wounded officers from the Boer War.

From BBC Oct. 22, 2021

A “schemer and a dreamer,” he had returned from the Boer War with one lung, and then from World War I “a 39-year-old wreck.”

From New York Times Dec. 3, 2019

He came from the prairies, where he had tamed countless mustangs for the British cavalry’s effort in the Boer War.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

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