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• William Tell
  William Tell

  noun

  a legendary Swiss patriot forced by the Austrian governor to shoot an apple off his son's head with bow and arrow.
• Tell, William
  Tell, William

  A legendary hero of Switzerland, famous for his skill as an archer. A tyrannical official forced him to shoot an apple off his son's head.

William Tell

American  

noun

1. a legendary Swiss patriot forced by the Austrian governor to shoot an apple off his son's head with bow and arrow.

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Tell, William Cultural  

1. A legendary hero of Switzerland, famous for his skill as an archer. A tyrannical official forced him to shoot an apple off his son's head.

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Example Sentences

Finally, the film gets surrealistic and even incorporates the William Tell scene from Burroughs' own life.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2024

The former Marine now called William Tell has, since his release from prison, become a quiet, methodical poker player mechanically executing gambits, controlling his environment.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2022

She had written: “There’s a seething stillness to ‘The Card Counter,’ and to star Oscar Isaac’s character, William Tell.

From Washington Post • Nov. 26, 2021

There is Rat Island, nothing more than a pile of rocks with a strange statue of the Swiss folk hero William Tell.

From Scientific American • Oct. 12, 2021

William Tell was a good shot and put an arrow through an apple on his son's head.

From "Hole in My Life" by Jack Gantos