dawson

IPA/dˈɔːsən/
KK[dˈɔsən]IPA/dˈɔːsən/

dawson — noun

1. Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899), a Canadian scientist who studied rocks, fos

1.nounB2
Definition

Sir John William Dawson (1820–1899), a Canadian scientist who studied rocks, fossils, and land formations, and served as the principal of McGill University in Montreal.

Example

Asher's project examined Sir John William Dawson and his fossil finds in Nova Scotia.

proper noun with title: Sir + full name

The university library holds scientific letters written by Dawson during his McGill years.

Common collocations
  • Sir John William Dawson
  • Dawson's work on
  • Dawson discovered
  • Dawson described

Usage Note

The title 'Sir' precedes the full name in formal reference, indicating he was knighted by the British crown. Distinguish this personal name from the place name Dawson, a town in Yukon, Canada.

2. A small city in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada, which became famous

2.nounB1
Definition

A small city in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada, which became famous in the late 1800s as the main destination of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Example

Defne and her family drove to Dawson to see the gold rush era wooden buildings.

drove to [place name] for travel destination

Every August, the town of Dawson holds a festival celebrating the gold rush history.

Common collocations
  • Dawson City
  • the town of Dawson
  • in Dawson
  • Dawson, Yukon
  • Dawson during the gold rush

Usage Note

Often called Dawson City in historical and travel writing. The name comes from the surveyor George Mercer Dawson, not from Sir John William Dawson. Distinguish this place name from the personal name Dawson, referring to the geologist.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

For a proper noun of this kind, there are no true synonyms. 'Dawson' is the surname used alone in informal or academic shorthand, while 'Sir John William Dawson' is the full formal name used in historical texts and citations. Use the full form the first time you mention him in an essay, then you may use 'Dawson' alone later. A similar pattern applies to other titled historical figures, such as 'Sir Isaac Newton' shortened to 'Newton' after the first reference.

Dawson ↗Sir John William Dawson

Common collocations

Nouns

  • Sir John William Dawson
  • Dawson City

Phrases

  • Dawson, Yukon
  • Dawson during the gold rush

Prepositions

Etymology

EnglishScottish

The surname Dawson comes from the medieval English nickname 'Daw,' a short form of the name David, combined with '-son' meaning 'son of.' The town in Yukon was named after the Canadian surveyor and geologist George Mercer Dawson (1849–1901), not after Sir John William Dawson, even though both were prominent figures in Canadian geology at around the same time.