Boer War, noun phrase
- Origin:
- EnglishShow more Boer sense 2 + English war.
1. Anglo-Boer War sense 1. Also attributive.
1893 Brown’s S. Afr. 209The town served as the base of the British military operations during the disastrous Boer war and the treaty of peace was signed here in 1881.
1987 M. Badela in City Press 13 Mar. 7They have long hankered for the land that was given to their forefathers by Paul Kruger before the Boer War.
2. figurative. Friction between Afrikaans- and English-speaking people, or among Afrikaner people. See also Anglo-Boer War sense 2.
1978 S. Vos in Sunday Times 2 Apr. 1The day the third Boer War broke out. An Englishman stood outside his luxury penthouse during Afrikaans television programmes and sang ‘There’ll always be an England’ and one line from ‘Rule Britannia’, a Durban judge was told.
1985 H. Pienaar in Frontline Aug. 37Oom Jaap..insisted that nothing had changed, that the Anglo-Americans were still fighting the Boer War.
Anglo-Boer War sense 1. Also attributive.
Friction between Afrikaans- and English-speaking people, or among Afrikaner people.

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