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Cornwallis

American  
[kawrn-waw-lis, -wol-is] / kɔrnˈwɔ lɪs, -ˈwɒl ɪs /

noun

  1. Charles, 1st Marquis, 1738–1805, British general and statesman: surrendered to Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, October 19, 1781.


Cornwallis British  
/ kɔːnˈwɒlɪs /

noun

  1. Charles, 1st Marquis Cornwallis. 1738–1805, British general in the War of American Independence: commanded forces defeated at Yorktown (1781): defeated Tipu Sahib (1791): governor general of Bengal (1786–93, 1805): negotiated the Treaty of Amiens (1801)

"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

Example Sentences

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The many fronts, Warren explained, overextended the British army and navy and prevented reinforcements from reaching Gen. Charles Cornwallis, who was hemmed in at Yorktown and would soon surrender to combined American and French forces.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 26, 2026

Back at the Portrait Gallery, we can find Gainsborough’s 1783 portrait of Gen. Charles Cornwallis.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 13, 2026

The barracks are thought to have been destroyed in 1781 by troops in the army of British Gen. Lord Charles Cornwallis.

From Seattle Times May 16, 2024

This contest would be in The Cornwallis Post.

From Washington Post Aug. 11, 2022

By summertime, Cornwallis had put many of the African American refugees to work in Yorktown, digging trenches and building fortifications.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

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