Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for William Tell. Search instead for william-cecil.
Jump To:
  • 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.


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.


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.

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

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "William Tell" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com