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.

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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

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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.

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Example Sentences

A 126-year-old Cadbury chocolate bar issued during the Second Boer War in 1900 is expected to fetch hundreds of pounds at auction.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

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

The power of machine guns, first seen at the turn of the century in the Boer War, also completely changed the battlefield experience in total war.

From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022

He wanted to go and find it; Monty, a veteran of the Boer War and a son of a wealthy politician, had the connections and credibility to make it happen.

From New York Times • Oct. 31, 2021

The bike slid round so the back faced front, clipped the Boer War Memorial, and Ross Wilcox got cartwheeled over the crossroads.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell